Page 257 of The Circle of Exile
“I shave only with you.”
Atharva set his razor down, out of his reach, and bent down to grab his old razor. He removed the blade and ran a finger down the body. The edges were smooth. Instead of getting his Old Spice, he pumped Iram’s lotion in the palm of his hand and got to his feet.
“Show me your cheek.”
Yathaarth immediately held his face out. Atharva ran lotion around his cheeks and jaw, making him laugh. His son had inherited the ticklish gene from his mother.
“Stay still,” Atharva chuckled, holding the bladeless razor up. “This is very sharp.”
His wiggling went still. His big dark grey eyes followed his movements as Atharva lightly pressed the razor down the lotion on his satin-smooth cheek.
“What happen with this?” He murmured, awed, eyes moving around in wonder.
“Your cheek becomes smooth.”
“You have hair there,” he pointed.
“You will also have it when you grow up.”
“Ooooh.”
Atharva finished his cheeks and set his razor away, cleaning the remnants of his own. He washed his face and dried it on a napkin, all with a rapt audience.
“Me too!”
He passed the napkin over and his son meticulously patted it over his face. Atharva smiled, thumbing the leftover lotion from his chin. “Very smooth.”
He turned to the mirror, his eyes going wide — “Yes yesss!”
Atharva shook some aftershave and slapped it on his jaw. Expectant eyes turned to him. He capped the bottle and grabbed Iram’s attar.
“Baba, I want yours…”
“That is only when you are as tall as me.”
“I will be!” He challenged, beginning to stand to his feet before Atharva grabbed his hand. He rubbed some khus attar on his palm and gestured him forward. He came eagerly.
“When you are, you can use it,” Atharva gently slapped the attar on his cheeks, making him preen.
“Now when we shave?”
“Now next month,” Atharva swooped him down.
“Why?”
“Because that’s the rule for playgroup students.”
“Working Baba?” He pointed up.
“For working Baba,” Atharva pointed to himself — “Every two days or…” he held back a sputter. “As Mama orders.”
A throat cleared from behind him. He looked up in the mirror and Iram stood just out of sight, behind the half-open door.
“What did I send you here to do, Arth?” She stepped inside.
“Mama see shave!” He rubbed his cheeks. She bent down and kissed his cheek, then his neck, then tickledhisspot under his jaw, making the bathroom reverberate with happy chortles.
“Now go to the kitchen and take your breakfast from Shiva Chacha. Baba has to dress first to get his food.”
