The Exchange

Maya's Music

As Kunal boarded his flight back home, the most painful memories rushed back into his mind. Growing up, Maya had the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. Everyone who heard her sing was in absolute awe, telling her that one day the world would worship her voice...and every time someone complimented her, there was no one happier, prouder than her elder brother. He would come back home from the hospital each evening to hear her playing the guitar and brightening the entire house with her singing. She would sing into the late hours of the night, preparing for the day when she would finally be able to unleash her talent. 

But, before that day could come, tragedy stroke their family. Their parents suddenly passed away in a car crash in the depths of the night...and by the time they reached the hospital...by the time Kunal might have had a chance to save them, they were gone. That was the last day he ever heard Maya sing...and on that day, he vowed to never set foot in a hospital ever again. Because, if he could not save his parents' lives...if he could not save his sister's smile...what use was his medical degree? What was the point of being a doctor...being a surgeon? None of it mattered to him anymore. 

His entire life's purpose became watching over Maya, whom suffered more than he could have ever imagined. She lost her mental stability, turning into someone he did not even recognize. He would hear her screaming in the middle of the night, begging god to return their parents. He tried time and time again to hand her a guitar, to make her sit in front of a piano...to try to get her to use her music to heal both of them. But, she had no desire, nor any ability to use her voice. She would spend her days staring at the walls...it was a lucky day for them if she did not try to set the house on fire or use one of the knives in the kitchen to harm herself. 

As the days went on, Kunal's resolve to help his sister became deeper and deeper. He took her to the world's best psychologists, best specialists to try to alleviate her of her pain. But, nothing worked. Everyone told him that she was hopeless, that this would be her life now. Many of the people he spoke with told him it would be best to admit her into a facility so that he could live in peace. But, the only reason he was still living was for her...so he had to keep her next to him...if not for her sake, then his own. 

He took care of her every need, desperately trying to get the smile to return to her face...he even tried to hire ghost writers and singers to try to get them to sing under her name, to give her the fame she had worked her entire life for. But, upon meeting her, talking to her...they all declined. No one wanted to work with or represent someone who acted in this way, who did not even have control over herself. 

That is why he was so touched the day he met Akshara...the day he heard her sing. Because in her innocence, in her bubbly eyes, he saw his Maya. He could not help but shed a few tears, thinking that this is how his sister would have been today had her life not changed so dramatically. She, too, would have been happily married to someone who loved her with his whole heart. She, too, would have been singing in front of her family, adding brightness to their lives. She, too, would have been preparing to launch her career with the support of everyone who loved her. 

And, as he watched Akshara living Maya's dream, he felt jealousy creep into his heart. He felt unsettled by the thoughts going through his mind...asking himself if there was any way to give Maya the life that Akshara had...if there was any way to take everything Akshara had and give it to his baby sister... 

He was jolted back into reality as the plane landed, telling himself to forget everything that had just crossed his mind...how could he dare to think that this would even be possible?