Mending Hearts

Arya stood outside the ICU window, peering in, trying to see her brother. The cold glass was little comfort and she wondered again why they always kept ICUs so chilled.

This was the 3rd day of her vigil. The phone call from her sister-in-law had brought her post haste to Delhi.

She turned around and walked back to the waiting room. It was no use standing with her nose pressed to the window. The doctors had already visited, told her there was no change, and moved on with their rounds. Now they would only let her in for a few minutes in the evening.

The waiting room was a jumble of voices as various attendants and visitors exchanged notes. There was Mistry aunty, whose husband of 60 years had suffered a stroke, and who refused to go home because she would be alone there. There was Punam whose mother had pneumonia and who insisted on feeding everyone breakfast because she lived only 5 minutes away. They all comforted each other and shared prayers and prasad.

Arya had not seen her brother Anand since their father's death 3 years ago. There had been some unpleasantness over the will....how trivial it seemed now! Anand and his wife Veena had made some remarks about daughters who had not looked after parents but showed up for the inheritance.

She shrugged it off now. As much as it hurt at the time, it was water under the bridge.

When help had been needed at the hospital, Veena had called and she had come. It was as simple as that.

But she just hoped she would have a chance to tell her brother she loved him. There was a sudden stir as the guard came looking for "bed number 3"...Arya realised with s start that was her! Heart pounding she followed him inside...Veena had just gone home to bathe and change...

"He's just woken up from the medication. Very confused and trying to tear off the ventilator mask. See if you can calm him down" the matron told Arya.

Suddenly all the anxiety, all the fear, all the guilt, and overwhelming sadness melted and in the familiar tone of the long-suffering older sister she told Anand "you are still the same...always getting into trouble! But you better be good now, because I'm here to make you behave!"

And suddenly she was smiling as she held Anand's hands in hers.

As she walked out of the ICU again her step was lighter and her eye was brighter. As she saw Veena hurrying towards her, she hugged her. More than his physical heart had healed today. The block that held them away from each other was gone too.