Why did Dwarka’s Rupunzel, aka Poonam Tyagi, let scissors rip through her hair after over four decades? ‘To say something,’ was Tyagi’s crisp reply.
Her hair will now be donated to make wigs for cancer patients.
In a freewheeling conversation with City Spidey, this resident of Paradise Apartments in Sector 9 revealed her motivation to cut her much-cherished, ankle-length hair after a period of 45 years.
“Well, it was in 1971 when someone else had washed my hair. Then recently, I got it shampooed at a parlour for a haircut. My hair would start to touch the ground in no time, and I would only get it trimmed to keep it few inches shorter than me,” she recounted.
And how did her family react?
“With acceptance, as always,” replied Tyagi.
“I am thankful to my pillars of strength — my daughters, Pallavi and Shailvi. But convincing my husband, Col Satish Tyagi, was the toughest bit, who often joked that he married me because of my hair. He finally agreed once I told him that it is for a cause and that I am donating it to make wigs for cancer survivors.”
Tyagi had offers to promote shampoo and hair oil brands, but the idea never enticed the social worker, who now feels that her hair, perhaps, had a special purpose — and that purpose is now met.
But donating her hair is just another addition to the long list of her work in the community. She has been working for underprivileged and visually impaired children. She also successfully rehabilitated children who begged at the gate of Dada Dev Temple in Dwarka.
The list is endless...
When we ask if she had any words for the youngsters, she says rather matter-of-factly, “Find out the minimum length you need for a wig...”
