“Now you understand why I advocate for women to lead,” he said, his voice ringing with conviction. “They don’t just nurturetheir own families; they look after the whole damn world without a single complaint.”
I spent a few more minutes with Kirti. She seemed happy. But the relief I felt was short-lived. A nurse soon informed me that Dr. Sisodiya was ready to see me in her private office.
The atmosphere changed the moment I stepped inside. The office was quiet, smelling of sterile air and old paper. Dr. Sejal Sisodiya sat behind a heavy desk. She looked exactly as I remembered in her birthday party.
She didn't waste time with pleasantries. “Kavya,” she began, “you already know your sister needs a heart transplant.”
I nodded, my fingers beginning to tremble in my lap.
“Her condition has worsened,” she continued, her voice soft but firm. “We cannot afford to wait any longer.”
A cold chill washed over me. “What do you mean? Worsened how?”
“She needs the transplant immediately.”
I had known this was coming.
“How much time do we have?” I asked. My voice felt brittle, like it might shatter if I spoke too loud.
“Maximum three months.”
My breath hitched. I felt the air leave the room. “But... she was just smiling. She looked fine. The previous doctors said she was stable. How can everything change so suddenly?”
Dr. Sejal shook her head gently, her expression sympathetic. “That is the most dangerous part of this illness, Kavya. Patients like Kirti can appear perfectly normal until the heart begins to fail rapidly. That is the stage we have entered.”
I bit my lip, pressing them together so hard it hurt, fighting the urge to break down right there. “So, what do we do? We can’t just sit here and wait for a donor, can we?”
She leaned forward, her silver hair catching the light. “We won’t just wait. There is an option to buy us some time.” She paused, ensuring I was listening. “We can implant a Ventricular Assist Device, a mechanical pump. It’s a bridge. It will help her heart circulate blood and keep her stable for a while longer.”
“A machine?” I repeated. The word sounded cold, industrial.
“Yes,” she said. “It’s surgically implanted. It doesn’t replace her heart, but it takes over the heavy lifting.”
For a split second, a tiny spark of hope flickered in my chest. “So... she’ll be okay? This will save her?”
Dr. Sejal didn't let that hope linger. She reached out, her hand hovering near mine. “It isn’t a cure, Kavya. It’s a lifeline. It will keep her alive only while we search for a donor heart.”
The spark died. “And if we don’t find one?”
I already knew the answer, but I needed to hear it. Her voice softened even further. “Then even the device won’t be enough. It eventually runs out of time, too.”
Silence filled the room. Three months. A mechanical pump. A race against a clock that was already ticking down.
“I’ll do it,” I said. My voice was surprisingly steady, even though I felt like I was falling apart inside. “Implant the device. Do whatever you have to do. I’ll arrange the money. I'll handle everything.”
She studied me for a long moment, perhaps seeing the desperation behind my eyes, then she nodded. “We will begin the preparations immediately.”
I stood up slowly. My legs felt like lead, and my mind was a chaotic roar of fear and logistics. When I stepped out of her office and back into the hallway, the world felt distorted, like I was looking at it through thick glass. Machines. Surgery. Three months.
I walked back toward Kirti’s room. Through the small window, I saw her. She was laughing at something Abhiraj had said, her face bright and full of life. She looked so vibrant, like nothing was wrong, like her life wasn't hanging by a fraying thread.
I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks and forced a smile onto my face. She couldn't know. Not yet. I stepped into the room, carrying the weight of the truth, the ticking of the clock, and the ghost of the machine that would soon be the only thing keeping her heart beating.
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Chapter 31
KAVYA