The Day My Hair Invited a Curse

When dust and my mother’s evil eye panic turned my bollywood moment into a cross-cultural comedy

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Picture this: I’m getting ready for my cousin’s wedding, determined to steal the show with my perfectly straightened hair flowing freely. Hours of effort, a cloud of hairspray, and I’m feeling like a Bollywood star. But the universe had other plans.

As I step outside, a freak dust storm hits, swirling grit into my eyes and nose. By the time I reach the venue, I’m sneezing like a monsoon has taken up residence in my sinuses, and a fever is brewing.

I’m thinking, “Classic dust allergy strike.” My mother, however, has a different diagnosis: “I told you not to leave your hair open! You’ve caught the evil eye!”

Cue her grabbing a fistful of salt and circling it around my head, muttering prayers to banish the nazar(evil eye), while I’m trying not to laugh through my sniffles. “Ma, it’s just allergies!” I protest, but she’s in full-on superstition mode, convinced some envious auntie’s glance has cursed me.

This isn’t just a one-off — it’s a window into the generational chasm between my mother’s traditional South Asian beliefs and my modern skepticism. Her obsession with the evil eye is a saga, and I’m the reluctant co-star, caught…