The Best Kiss

(#Shortstory)

The year was 1996. The place was my college campus. I was in my friend Farhan’s hostel room getting ready for a Halloween party, a somewhat unknown concept in India at that time. I was sitting in a chair wearing a red and orange saree borrowed from a friend. My face glowed with the yellow light of a 100 W bulb in a table lamp placed near my face, as my friend went about decorating my face.

Farhan learned to do make-up for theatre. But it was just fake moustaches and wounds till that point. But he had always been tempted to do what he had just done. My face, in the make-up he had just applied, was a success. My high cheekbones, large eyes, small mouth, small chin and sharp jaw had been redesigned with base, powder, eyeliner, and lipstick.

I looked at myself and smiled.

And for the final touch, he put a wig on my head. Long auburn hair. Just the kind I like.

I took a good look at myself in the mirror and adjusted my saree when Tanya knocked on the door.

“Hey Girl!” She said through the door in a voice deeper than her own. “Aren’t you ready yet?”

She had already finished, dressed in a Pathaani with a turban on her head. She was also wearing a fake beard and moustache. This was our first party together as a couple. And ‘gender swapped’ was the way to go, we, but mostly she, had decided.

“Come in!” Farhan said opening the door.

She appeared over my shoulder in the mirror. I could see her brows rise all the way up.

“Damn! You look beautiful!” She said. “I don't believe it.”

“Believe it,” I said looking into her eyes.

“Oh my god! You are beautiful” she said stepping closer to me. She was really spellbound. I had never seen her look at me like that before. I smiled as I realised I had seen this scene before. This is the scene where the beautiful girl receives her man’s unconditional adoration. I was that girl.

She put her arms on my shoulders and smiled at me, still mesmerised.

“Ever kissed a girl?” I asked.

“No.” She said and laughed.

“Now is your chance,” I said and she leaned in and kissed me slowly. That was the best kiss of my life.

***

Looking back, that was the day she found out that she was into girls.

I found out next semester.