My first time

... At the spa was all about massaging the ego and shedding some old notions

My first time

ufffd At the spa was all about massaging the ego and shedding some old notions

I am lying down, shirtless, on a pristine white sheet. There is dim light, soft music and a very young girl is rubbing my face. Before you stop reading the rest of the article in faux disgust, here's the spoiler: I am at a spa!

The journey from my office to this room has been a long one. It took me around 40 minutes and many days of Twitter debates, snides, sniggers and girlie giggles from colleagues and old-time friends to reach the massage board. The poser I put out was simple enough: Should men go for spas? I know, I know. In today's sexless and thin-skinned world, there's no such thing as a guy thing. If women can take it lying down, so can we. So we wax, do our eyebrows, wear pink and even try to behave weird on certain days of the month to show solidarity with the stronger sex.

But what do you do if after so many years of trying to fit in, you still hold on to archaic notions of manhood? What if the last film that made you feel good about your gender was Mickey Rourke's The Wrestler?
"Boss, don't be a pig. Men look good, groomed! You should try out the spa. It is a really good one. Trust me, you will be hooked," said the new entrant of the features team. My Twitter followers seemed to agree.
So on a balmy afternoon, I land up at Cr me Spa in Mehrauli. The same wonderful looking building where my favourite eating joint is. But we won't plug that in this article.

An affable lady offers me a welcome drink, shows me around, tells me why men outnumber women at her shop and that once I get a treatment done I would come back for more. I am not even half convinced till I see men in bath robes walking around with white masks on. Most of them have beautifully waxed legs. I opt for a facial.u00a0
The very young girl asks me my skin type. I draw a blank, she brings out bottles and rattles off names. There's cleanser, lotion, vitamin C concentrate to brighten up the skin, sea weed for hydration and orange musk peel to lighten the skin.

Irrespective of what is happening to my face, a feeling best described as sudden rain on parched land, the one-hour at the board is strangely relaxing. I forget all about missed deadlines, angry rejoinders, disgruntled colleagues and even the rather disturbing sight of beautiful men with waxed legs. All I can think about is how I need to do this more often, just for the relaxation maybe. Mickey Rourke movies and spa visits can surely co-exist.

An hour later, a calmer me comes out of the room. "Your face looks better, way better," says the affable lady. I will come back again. Just to hear that!

Where: CREME SPA AND SALON, ONE STYLE MILE, MEHRAULI
Timings: 10AM-10PM
Price: RS 2,500 ONWARDS
Ring: 9999083636