ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS

2. GURU NANAK

❤︎ Anjali's Perspective ❤︎

As soon as Beth passed away, an assistant at the hospital sends the message to all the US hospitals that a heart is available for immediate transplant.

Beth was an organ donor. When she got her driver's license, she signed the document to make sure someone would be saved if something happened to her.

Within a few minutes, a hospital from New York responds to the message with all the information necessary to identify the future recipient's heart condition. A medical assistant prepares to ship Beth's heart to New York urgently. Around the same time, my mother receives a phone call from the hospital where I am registered.

"Mrs. Kumar? This is New York Presbyterian-Hospital."

My mother grips her cellphone firmly.

"A heart for your daughter just became available. It will take a few hours to arrive. Bring your daughter to the hospital at 8 p.m. I will send you the rest of the procedure via message on your cell phone. Please make sure to be on time!"

My mother is at an Indian supermarket in Queens buying lentils for her dal for dinner when she receives the phone call. She calls my father right away.

"Rahul, I just received a phone call from the hospital. A heart is available for Anjali."

"You have to come home at 7 p.m. to bring her to the hospital. They are going to operate on her this evening."

"It is a miracle! Rahul, don't be late!"

She quickly finishes her grocery shopping and hurries home to prepare an overnight bag for my stay at the hospital. As soon as she comes into the apartment, my mother shouts for me with joy.

"Anjali! Anjali!"

"The hospital found you a new heart! It is incredible. It is a true miracle!"

"Thank you, Guru Nanak! Thank you!"

She walks into my room, where I am resting on my bed.

"Anjali! Did you hear what I said?"

"Guru Nanak found you your new heart! We are going to the hospital this evening for your surgery. I will prepare your bag right away."

"Thank you, Guru Nanak! Thank you!"

Then she touches the picture of Guru Nanak that hangs above my bed.

At seven o'clock sharp, my father, Rahul, comes home from work. As soon as my mother sees his yellow cab approaching our apartment building through the window, she wraps her arm around me and holds a Boston bag on the other arm.

I am holding her shoulder as I am too weak to walk alone. Then we walk out the front door and go out to the street where the cab is parked. My father jumps out as soon as he sees us. He lifts my body gently and puts me in the back seat of the cab. Then he quickly turns on the engine and takes off for Manhattan.

My father has been working as a cab driver since my parents arrived in New York from Bombay, India, twenty years ago. As many new immigrants still do in New York City, he started to work as a cab driver.

He told himself that this was a temporary job and he would eventually find his real job. As soon as he was getting used to living in NYC, my mother became pregnant with me. Nine months later, I was born.

To support a new member of the family, he wasn't able to take a risk in finding another job because he needed his paycheck every week. Eighteen years have passed since then, and he is stuck with his job as a cab driver for life.

After leaving our humble apartment in Jackson Heights, he keeps driving on State Route 25A for the Queensboro bridge. My father seems to be driving as if his life depends on it. The streets are jam-packed with cars leaving Manhattan. Luckily, the traffic going into the city is much calmer. My father knows precisely which roads to take.

Once we are on Queensboro bridge, I can see all of Manhattan, the city that never sleeps, in front of me. Everyone comes here to become someone, but very few succeed.Most of the dreams have never been realized and buried beneath the skyscrapers. My father was one of them.

After crossing the bridge, he crosses town to the West Side, where the hospital is situated. He turns right to go up to Park Avenue, then shortly after turns left on 66th Street to cross Central Park by taking Transverse Road.

Once the cab hits Broadway, he turns right again to go straight up to 165th Street. He drives as if his mission in life is driving me across the city. He is so determined about how to get to the hospital.

Thanks to my father, we arrive in time for my appointment. When we stop at the hospital entrance, a nurse has been waiting for me with a wheelchair. She takes us to the waiting room and wheels me on to the operation room.

When the nurse changes my clothes, the entire team is ready for my operation. One of the nurses brought me into the surgery room. I wait for my new heart to arrive.

After thirty minutes of long waiting, my surgery starts. After the anesthesia is administered, I slowly dose off and lose consciousness.

For my parents, it becomes a long, anxious evening. They patiently wait for news. My mother prays for me and thinks of Guru Nanak, her absolute favorite guru, while my father holds her hand at her side.

After passing more than four hours, the operation room door finally opens, and the chief surgeon comes out. My parents are called in to find out the result of the operation. The surgeon wipes sweat from her forehead and starts to talk to them.

"The team has done such an excellent job on your daughter. It was one of the most successful operations we have done in the past."

My parents express a sign of relief.

"Your daughter's body accepted the donor's heart, and her heart is strong and steady. So far, her vitals are very positive and promising. We will keep an eye on her all night long to see if the situation remains steady."

"So please go home and rest well. You can come back to see her tomorrow morning. She should be awake by then. Have a nice evening!"

Despite my mother's belief, Guru Nanak didn't save me.

Beth's heart saved my life.