The Expert Makeup And Prosthetic Artist-A Fictional Story

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this Story are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and unintentional.

It was the 'Woman's |Day' celebration at the Golden Banquet Hall, in the heart of the city.

The Banquet Hall was bustling with excitement. It was full of women achievers who were to be felicitated with the coveted 'Wonder Woman' trophy.

Dozens of journalists, and cameramen were there to capture each significant moment of the evening as it unfolded, not to mention the eager audience who were proud to be part of such an event. All the women awardees were achievers, all were those typical ‘glass ceiling breakers’ type of women!

Sia was one of the many journalists given the task of interviewing some of the awardees, her first time as an independent journalist. Naturally, she was both thrilled and excited.

Sia had read the list of awardees and could feel goose-bumps since the list was both diverse and different for there were women from almost all walks of life. There was Mumbai's first woman bus conductor, a woman Navy Major, a popular female radio jockey, a software startup lady who was a self-made millionaire besides a famous and veteran editor apart from a mountaineer, an economist, an International swimmer, a National level football player and a lady makeup artist.

The first part of the program was awarding the awards to the various women awardees.

The presenter Mr. Jha, an editor of a renowned magazine, was reading out the achievements of each award winner as they went up on the stage to receive their award at the hands of the Chief Guest. 

Mr. Jha introduced the mountaineer as someone who had scaled three major peaks within a year, making her India's first lady to do so. Then came the swimmer who had swum the English Channel and the two massive oceans and that too in record time. And then came the football player who was the only Indian lady football player to have scored 100 goals so far. When Mr. Jha announced that the bus conductor being felicitated was the first female bus conductor in the entire state, there was a huge round of applause.

And when came the famous radio jockey who had been voted the most popular in three consecutive years, there was a round of hooting and cheers which changed the mood of the event from the current somber to that of fun. When Jha explained that the Navy major being felicitated was the first lady to get that post and privilege, there was not a single young girl who was watching, who did not want to be in her big shoes and had even started dreaming big!

Then came the renowned economist who had worked extensively on ‘The economics of women's health’, who was followed by a young software engineer, who had started a software startup and had become a self-styled millionaire at the early age of 25 years old. Jha then introduced the next awardee as the famous editor who had written extensively for women's issues from the past forty years and had also been an activist for issues like gay rights and marriages, stringent dowry laws, and laws against sexual harassment at the workplace. And the last one was a self-taught makeup and a prosthetic artist.

After all the achievers were awarded, they poised for a group photograph.

The next part of the program was the interview.

This is where Sia came into the picture.

Sia had been informed by her boss that she will have to interview a few award winners. She felt both thrilled and honored to be able to interview these women of guts and wits. As per her practice, she had started framing different questions in her mind that she would ask these women of substance.

The interviews were going to be streamed live and though it was supposed to be an extempore kind of interview, Sia wanted to be ready with the questions beforehand, so that there is no fumbling and stammering when the camera rolled.

Sia started visualizing herself interviewing these women and started thinking of all the probable questions that she could ask if she is to interview the football player. Sia knew very little about the game, she hardly knew the rules of the game and did not have even a rough idea of any record, national or international. Come to think of it, she realized that she did not know even the name of the captain of either the women's or the men's national football team. So Sia decided that she would ask the player about her struggle, her childhood, her routine training schedule, etc.

For the bus conductor, Sia too felt that it was better to ask her about the challenges that she faces every day during her duty. Sia wanted to know if people treated her with respect or ogled at her. For Sia had heard incidences of eve-teasing in the buses and she would be lying if she said that she had never been a victim of the same while traveling. Sia wanted to ask her whether the passengers touched her inappropriately in the guise of buying a ticket. Sia also wanted to know how her male colleagues treat her, and does she mingle with them, especially during tea time and lunch break. Sia was sure that if she could present a rosy picture of the lady bus conductor on duty, then that would certainly inspire more girls to take up this career and more parents would also be ready to allow their daughters to apply for this job.

Sia knew that interviewing the radio jockey would be the easiest task, for the RJ was popular as a very lively, friendly, bubbly girl and one just had to ask a single question to her and the RJ was sure to answer in her typical style……..the style that the new generation would swear by………the rapper's style! Sia knew that she will have to adopt a more friendly style, tone, and attitude throughout the entire interview since it is to be targeted toward the teens and the youngsters. And since these teens and youngsters were the ones who could give a lot of likes and good reviews (which was so essential for the furthering of Sia's career), Sia wanted to do everything to get their attention.

Sia was however in a fix when it came to the editor. For how do you interview a woman who has interviewed great personalities, leaders, and celebrities from the past four decades (even before Sia was born!)? What questions do you ask and how without feeling either self-conscious or small? Sia hoped and prayed that her Boss does not assign this tough job to her but instead assign it to Priya, their senior correspondent.

For the swimmer, Sia knew what to ask and felt that she was in comfortable waters since Sia was also a good swimmer. Sia was sure that she would be assigned the task of interviewing her for Sia's editor already knew that Sia was a state-level swimmer.

For the software startup and self-styled millionaire, Sia knew that people were more interested in discussions related to her millions than about her software startup idea. So Sia knew which questions to ask to keep the audience hooked. 'What were your first thoughts when you signed that million-dollar deal?' "How do you spend your money?' 'How many diamonds have you bought so far?" And the most obvious of them all is "Any boyfriends?" or better still "What qualities are you looking for in your partner?" 

These questions were sufficient to make her interview both thrilling and the ‘most viewed’.

If Sia is assigned the task of interviewing the Navy Major, Sia had decided that she will have to ask her "How she manages both home and work (since the Navy Major was a married lady with a 10-year-old son)?". Sia knew that for this interview, she will have to adopt a more formal and sober tone and attitude.

For the interview with the mountaineer, Sia had almost the same questions ready in her mind, as that for the swimmer- her initial training, her challenges, her motivations, the role of her parents and teachers in her achievements, etc.

Same with the economist, who was a world famous one and was also an advisor to the top leaders in power. Interviewing the economist would be a proud privilege because Sia was sure that this interview would be streamed, viewed, liked, and shared by millions around the globe, and may even provide the much-needed boost and push for her career growth. So though it would be a tough assignment, if she was indeed assigned it and she did handle it smoothly and flawlessly, Sia knew that this would be just the stepping stone………….by which she would scale many, many more heights!!

Sia was almost mentally dreaming of the success that she would achieve if she is given the role of interviewing the economist when her boss sent an official mail asking her to interview the beautician further adding that the other awardees will be handled by Priya madam and Raju sir, Sia's immediate bosses and seniors.

Within minutes, Sia was fuming with rage and insult.

'What do such things always happen to me?' She kept on saying to herself. 'Why don't I get an opportunity to shine like the rest?' How long will I continue to do all the groundwork, the tough research work, in the background while the spotlight will be only on these two seniors since they will be the ones who will be seen and heard by others?

'Beautician! Of all the people in the world” Sia almost spat in disgust and went on” A mere beautician, someone who is almost so common these days, present in every nook and corner of the city. Why city? Even small villages these days are flooded with beauty parlors and beauticians. What extraordinary achievement can a beautician achieve? And this beautician, Mrs. Myra Shenoy, 28 years old, was not even the beautician of any famous actress. What could have been her struggle? Her job is just like any other 9 to 5 job. The routine of waxing and threading and eyebrows and upper lips and underarms………….her only greatness can be her skills of doing a supreme facial and hairstyle or makeup …. A bride makeup expert, at the most” Sia was saying to herself. And she observed that Myra was not even that………..she was an average beautician, with just a diploma in basic makeup….not even in hairstyling or grooming……….then why was she selected in the first place for such a prestigious award? Sia kept on thinking and for the first time in the day started doubting the merit of the awardees of today.

When Myra entered the studio and Sia saw her at close quarters, Sia was more surprised than ever. For Myra was such an ordinary-looking lady she was not even plain-looking, she was almost ugly. Something about her made Sia grimace in repulsion and she instinctively felt that something was not right about Myra, but did not know what that was.

Sia did not hate ugly people, but she certainly hated people who took no efforts to maintain themselves and make themselves presentable.

She could tolerate ugly people, but not lazy people!

Moreover, Sia simply did not understand why a beautician like Myra should continue to remain so abnormally ugly…. Especially with so many primers and foundations available…

No doubt there was something abnormal about Myra's appearance, but Sia remembered that she is supposed to make every awardee feel special and important and it was not her job to judge the merit of the winner, so she put forth the first and obvious question to Myra. "How did you become such a great makeup artist?"

Myra smiled weakly and muttered "By experience'.

Sia smiled back and thought that it must mean 'work experience'.

Sia then asked her next obvious question "How did you learn makeup?"

Myra smiled again and said, "By practice!"

Sia nodded her head and realized that this must mean that Myra had gone to a prestigious makeup school and practiced quite hard.

"Practice" Sia repeated and added "Can you please elaborate on that" to while away the time, for the interview was to last at least 15 minutes and they were barely on their 3rd minute, so far.

Myra sighed painfully long and seemed lost in thought for a long time. Then she said "I used to practice on myself. I …….err……….used to apply heavy makeup……………err….almost every day"

Sia smiled understandingly.

She knew dozens of such women who could spend hours and hours in front of the mirror, applying makeup on themselves, using every available bit of make-up that they can lay their hands on…mascaras, liner, kajal, blushes, thinner, foundations, and face packs …………..experimenting on themselves, again and again……………until they got it right……that cherished, polished and youthful look!

"Take me through those lovely days," Sia said pushing Myra to explain the journey of beautifying herself, of experimenting on herself. For Sia knew that every woman enjoyed that journey and loved to explain it in the minutest of details, which from Sia's point of view would mean at least four to five more minutes of interview completed successfully.

'Phew!' Sia thought 'Still some more minutes to go' and wondered what more to ask her next. For she did not find a makeup artist's job to be either adventurous or extraordinary though their output, their result could certainly be something extraordinary, like a complete makeover maybe!

‘But, sadly the profession of a makeup artist was a rather simple and plain one, one devoid of any exemplary achievements or challenges!’ thought Sia.

"Well…………" Myra began uncertainly, looking nervous for the first time and Sia was wondering for what (of course, Sia had not asked Myra to reveal any secret face-packs or makeup tricks, then why the sudden hesitation?) "At first………… I used to experiment with very little make-up………….very mild…just the basic foundations and primers and blushes, of course…..then…….err………..then…. I started using bolder and much …mmmm….much heavier shades"

Myra merely smiled and Sia could even detect a faint dimple on Myra's left cheek.

There were still 10 more minutes to cover…………

So mentally, Sia went through Myra's resume once again and realized that Myra was also a Prosthetic makeup artist.

"I believe you are also a Prosthetic makeup artist" Sia began and she could feel Myra squirm uncomfortably in her chair and even blinked twice into the camera "Please tell our audience what exactly that means?"

"I………….." Myra began, trying to choose her words carefully "I………errr……….Prosthetic makeup is a kind of mixture of sculpting, molding, and casting techniques used to create advanced cosmetic effects."

"Oh!" Sia exclaimed for it was news to her. "And what is the use of prosthetic makeup?" she asked since she was totally bewildered by the whole story.

"Well…with a prosthetic kind of makeup ……………we can change the features of a person" exclaimed Myra, for the first time sounding confident and at ease "Like adding a longer nose, changing its shape and size, or make the cheeks more puffed”

"Oh…….I see!" Sia said and then after a minute asked "But why did you learn this art of prosthetic?"

Myra was silent for a long, long time, her head bent in shame, her entire body trembling.

After a long time, Myra spoke not to Sia, but straight to the camera, to the millions out there watching her and well…….she knew for sure….who were also feeling repulsed by her ugliness. Much like Sia. Though she could not see the reactions of the audience around the world, Myra was sure of one thing- they all must have been disgusted, maybe even revolted to see such a horrible face and structure.

"I learned prosthetics to cover the flaws and marks on my face" Myra explained, "I am a victim of domestic violence. My husband used to hit me on my face almost every day…………with cane sticks, blows, leather belts, and anything that he could lay his hands on……………and I had no choice but to hide my bruises and scars with makeup. That is how I learned makeup! One day….err…and one day, when I was fast asleep, he ……….he………poured acid on my face………and……and…..my entire face burned…………… I screamed and shouted till I was hoarse…………. I felt as if I was on fire……..I could feel my body being burned, and loose flesh was hanging out……” Myra choked.

“After a few days in the hospital, I noticed that my one eye had been damaged, and that ……….err…..that …….there was no nose and right-hand cheek……so I learned prosthetic makeup and created a new nose, slightly puffed cheeks, even a false eye" said Myra as she started removing one prosthetic piece after one until her face and insecurities were both naked and visible for everyone to see…….in the form of burnt flesh and hole in the socket from where Myra had pulled out an artificial eye.

“I have received this award not because I am a great makeup artist, but because I am an acid attack survivor”

Sia, more shocked than repulsed this time, felt that if anyone deserved the 'Wonder Woman Award' more than anyone in this room, it was definitely Myra!!