The diary of a girl who forgot to wear kajal to work one day

"No. I am not sick. I just forgot to wear kajal today."

This is one sentence that I have to keep saying on a loop on days when I forget to wear kajal to work.

The unnecessary concern comes my way mainly because my eyes resemble that of a tired zombie--thanks to my eye bags.

Most people I meet during the course of the day react with such shock on seeing me that it often makes me wonder whether I look really that ghastly--and the answer is yes! I do.

Those who know me a little better assume that some tragedy has befallen me and I have spent the night crying myself to sleep. It might sound a little cheeky, but I do little to disperse their misconception.

Also read: 5 reasons why you have dark circles, even though you catch enough Z's

Honestly, who can say no to all the sympathy that comes in the form of a hug, a free coffee, and an attentive group of friends? As much as I hate to admit it, I do enjoy the attention.

And then, there are those, who assume that I have had a wild night and my dead- face look is a result of too much alcohol in my system.

This is often followed by helpful tips to cure hangover and some motherly advice on why I should not indulge in too much alcohol. Point taken.

And when I do finally reveal to my well-wishers that they really do not need to go overboard with their concern, and my eyes look vacant not because I am the saddest person on earth, but purely because I forgot to apply kajal, I am bombarded with beauty tips. Some really helpful, I must say.

In a nutshell, on days such as these, I realize how important a stick of kajal is to my existence.