Millions of years ago (or so it seems), when I was barely halfway through college, I used to desire one specific shade of Lakme lipstick. It was called Red Coat. I would secretly stare at the full, luscious lips of the model who used to smile at me from my desktop screen, the lipstick shining on her, like a piece of blood diamond. I couldn’t afford it, of course. My mother used to give me thirty rupees every day for lunch and transport and I could barely save enough to even watch a movie with my friends without asking for more money. But every time I would sneak a look at that pretty face wearing red coat, my young adult heart will flutter frantically with desire, inside my usual cage of guilt. Why am I being so greedy, I would wonder. My mother is struggling so hard to make ends meet for the both of us, and here I am, lusting over luxurious yet unimportant consumer goods. I would quickly close the window that housed the ad and go back to studying with a frown.
My latest order from Nykaa arrived yesterday. I had ordered for some lipsticks and while swatching them one by one, I suddenly realized that in that box, lay Red Coat, the lipstick of my dreams. I didn’t even see the name of the shade while placing my order. I liked the color and so I bought it. But as this sudden realization hit me on the face, I teared up a little like that stupid young adult whose desires were never free from guilt.
No, the lipstick is nowhere in the league of Mac or Bobby Brown, but I could tell without any doubt, that it is going to be my favorite one. As I caressed its shiny rose gold case, crying and laughing at the same time, I remembered what Forrest’s mother would tell him from time to time: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
Yeah, life has a strange way of coming to a full circle.
The featured image in this post is used from Etsy.