Two Hearts

Two Hearts : Where it belongs

May 2016

The Primary Health Center was meant to cover a population of 30,000. The nearest bus station was miles away. Instead of going to the town, people from adjoining villages made the journey on foot to the PHC. They considered themselves lucky because earlier they had to spend a lot of money to make a trip to a town hospital but for the last few years, they were getting treated right here in their villages.

It was a regular day in the PHC, beginning of a busy long week. Today was OPD, Out patient department day. There were other days when field visits were also done. The OPD was crowded and a long line of people waited, sitting outside a room. Even though the small room was sparsely furnished with a table, a chair, a cupboard and a bed for examination, for Dr Anisha it served its purpose. An MD in medicine, she could have worked in a corporate hospital or a tertiary health institute. But she choose to practice out here as a doctor for the National Rural Health Mission. The satisfaction she got from treating countless patients who really needed her and the blessings she received from them, were no match to the monetary gain she would have gained otherwise.

Because there was no running water, Anisha washed her hands in the basin with the help of the attendant lady who poured the water for her. She had just finished examining a patient. After drying her hands with the towel, she returned to the table. She started writing on the OPD paper, jotting down her findings and the diagnosis she made. Finally she was writing the prescription for the medicines when the pen she was using began to run out of ink. Did she had an extra pen? She tried recalling as she made another effort to finish writing.

"Need a pen?" Offered someone from behind.
Anisha's heart skipped a beat hearing the voice because she hadn't heard it in a very long time. She looked up to see a familiar figure, standing beside her, holding out a pen for her, a smile on his face.

***

Over the years, Anisha had mellowed. Time and life making her more mature. Usually she was calm & composed but today was different. She fidgeted, her mind was in chaos. The fact that he was right here in the next room didn't made things any better. The last time she saw him was in the hospital bed. Thirteen years have passed.

Anisha was in the kitchen preparing coffee. Earlier, when he had turned up in the OPD, he had left saying he would drop by her Doctor's quarters in the evening, after her day at the PHC ended. From the kitchen Anisha could see him moving around the small living room. The moppy hair was gone, replaced by a crew cut. But in her eyes, he looked the same. He wouldn't have perhaps found out about it? She dismissed it as soon as the thought came. She had made sure that he didn't come to know about it. But then, why would he come out here looking for her after all these years?

Karan

Just like he thought, she was pretending, not ready to tell the truth. All along the way, Karan had played out the scene in his mind several times but he found himself not ready as Anisha walked over to him with a smile.

"Thank you," he replied, taking the coffee mug from her. As he took a sip, memories flooded his mind. The number of times they both shared a coffee and a moment like this. Suddenly, he felt at ease, the tense feeling gradually leaving him. A smile broke on his face.

"What happened?" Anisha asked wondering.

"Nothing," he answered back, the smile not leaving his face as he asked, "How have you been, Anisha?"

They made little talks here and there. An attempt to catch up on the years passed between them. Anisha told him about working out here while Karan filled in about his recent return to India after spending years in the US.

Anisha listened to Karan as he spoke more to her about his work he had been doing. As he talked, he handed a newspaper to her, "Can you please read this?"

Karan quietly watched her in anticipation. Anisha grew excited as she read the article that appeared in the front page recently. Because it was difficult here to access the newspaper daily in the village, she had no idea about the news he was sharing with her now. The article spoke about a team of researchers and doctors led by Dr Karan, an Indian doctor doing his PhD in Stanford developing a device that replaces the heart completely. The recent innovations in the field of science had made the concept of a Total Artificial Heart a reality with many teams developing the same. The difference was that the device made by Dr Karan and his team was cheaper and economical, which could be used in countries where many patients weren't able to afford the expensive versions.

"This is great, Karan!"
Anisha exclaimed. It meant many lives will now be saved that have been waiting for a donor heart. And in many instances, this device would be a permanent solution and not only a temporary measure. Anisha stopped short of reading the rest of the article. Because it now mentioned the name of the device. Dr Karan and his team had named their artificial heart as 'ANISHA'.

Anisha

It could only meant one thing. She looked up to meet Karan eyes that told her he knows the truth. She couldn't hide it anymore. Anisha's mind went back to the day in the hospital. When Anisha gave one of her heart away, she had done so under one clause. She had arranged to make sure the recipient of her heart never finds out about the identity of the donor.

She gave up doing her residency in the particular hospital so as not to not make Karan suspect anything. Just like he chose not to tell him about his failing heart, she also chose not to tell him that she had given him her heart. Both literally and figuratively. She never told him about her feelings because she didn't know whether he would recipocrate the same. And just because she gave her heart, he didn't have to feel indebted to her.

"I'm sorry..I should have come earlier.." Karan broke the silence.

"But I couldn't..Not until..I could give something back in return for the heart you gave me," he added, as he went nearer and sat kneeling down beside her.

Karan wouldn't have found out hadn't it for the chance encounter with a friend who told him that Anisha had left her residency even before it started. Karan knew he had a slim chance of finding a donor heart because he was far down the list who were waiting for an organ donation. After a lot of digging up, he was able to find the carefully hidden truth.

By then, Anisha had left the town, opting to do her residency in a different hospital. As soon as he came to know what had happened, he thought of finding her. But something prevented him to do so. For what Anisha had done for him, he couldn't go to her empty handed.

That was when he decided to go after the dream he shared with her. Like her heart that gave him a new lease of life, day and night he worked to keep the dream alive of making an artificial heart. Because of her, he was able to complete the dream.

"Anisha...please say something."

She hadn't spoken a word and it worried him.

Anisha was too overwhelmed to say anything. She remembered how the few people who knew including her parents asked her. Why? Why not the others but him? Right now, she wanted to tell them. It was worth it. Giving her heart to him. Because he made it worthwhile by now saving many more lives.

"Thank you.."

She finally said, her voice nearly a whisper. She didn't have any more words to say what she felt right then.

Without saying anything, Karan placed his hand over hers. It was where they had left the last time. He remembered the night he struggled with his feelings. How he hadn't been able to tell the person that matter to him the most about himself. He had fallen for her from the first instance she argued with him in the class over an answer he had given. She was fiery and full of life. Being with her made him forgot about his weak heart. He used to deliberately forget bringing a pen so he could ask her for one. He had to push her away that night and it hurted him more than his failing heart. Whether the heart that failed him or the one beating right now, they belonged to her only.

Warm tears sprung her eyes as she hold on to his hand. When she gave her heart away, she felt a part of her went with it. Today her love has returned. Her heart has returned.