Pass off

My theme for this year’s
Blogging from A to Z Challenge is called the
Click here to read more about it.
***
Today’s words are
‘Pass off
which means to to offer, sell, or circulate something that
is an imitation as though it were genuine.
Source: http://pixabay.com/

“No, no, no… Why don’t you understand? I’m looking for a fresh face for this campaign. I don’t want to see those plastic beauties no matter how much they are in demand or what their portfolios boast of.”

Debashish sighed in exasperation as he disconnected the call and rested his hand on the parapet of the balcony of his first Β floor swanky apartment, running his fingers through his curly locks that ended around his shoulders into wild ringlets. He lit a cigarette and puffed furiously at the melting evening sun.

Debashish was one of the best photographers in the country and had the reputation of being a perfectionist of a shutterbug. His eccentric ways often delivered amazing results from his lens. It had been over months that he had been looking for a fresh looking face for his upcoming campaign for a brand new discovery in the world of cosmetics, a miracle product, that scoffed at makeup and promised to take years off a face if used diligently, to the extent that a woman would never want to use make up again, after she discovered the natural beauty of her rejuvenated skin. He had skimmed through so many portfolios of super models, upcoming ones and also of some newbies. All he saw was picture-perfect contoured features, layers of makeup and a smile that could put a plastic doll to shame. Steely cold. They could pass off as painted dummies. None of them qualified for the au naturel look he intended to promote through this campaign.

He wondered if such women existed at all anymore, what with the booming of the cosmetics market and the overrated desire for glamour. All these women today looked the same. They preened, pouted and faked glamour with an exaggerated amount of sensuality, without an ounce of grace or dignity. They dressed alike, spoke alike, behaved alike and looked alike – blank and expressionless. That very moment just to prove him wrong, she appeared from nowhere, passing by his balcony wearing a simple beige blouse with a baby pink skirt flowing around her long legs. Her hair was all tousled and out of place. Not a trace of makeup on her face. She suddenly felt his intent gaze on her and turned up her face instinctively. Her eyes lit up instantly with a hint of recognition and her face burst into a spontaneous childlike smile that spoke of unbridled disbelief. She wasn’t a classic beauty so to speak of. But there was something about her. That smile.

“Oh my god! Debashish… Debashish Ghosh, the famous photographer!” she exclaimed chirpily, waving madly at him unable to contain her excitement standing right under his balcony. He waved back at her, adjusting his glasses to have a better look at her and signaled her to wait for him to come down.

He had finally found the face he was looking for all these months. She had a face with a real genuine smile that radiated heartwarmly through her glowing skin and actually reached her eyes.

There are lots of fake things
you can try to pass off as real,
but a smile is not one of them.
Linking this to the Blogging from A to Z (April 2015) for the letter P.