A Simple Woman from a Village Near Bhimashankar

She is a simple woman from a village near Bhimashankar, approximately sixty years old, living alone in a small rural area.

Her son lives in Pune but is busy and cannot accompany her to the doctor. So she comes alone—by ST bus, the last jeep, and then walking on foot.

For the past 10 years, she has come on time for check-ups, medicines, files, and old records—not just as a patient but as a responsible person.

She lives a rural life, but even in that, there is discipline and self-respect. She never asks for anything, only understands.

This time, however, she was late. Her reports were a bit worse, and her sugar levels had increased. She was calm but had a slight tension in her mind.

I asked and looked deeper. Then it unfolded—during heavy rain, the roof of her house was blown away. She was inside the house and narrowly escaped harm.

Even today, she lives in that broken house, recovering on her own without anyone's help.

While telling this, there were no tears in her eyes but there were tears inside. She was not crying but somewhere in her heart, she was lost.

And I understood—her sugar increased not because she is sick but because she is stressed, fighting alone.

I spoke quietly and listened. She felt a little relieved. Finally, she said, "Sir, next time I will bring everything properly."

Yes, she is a fighter. Not just her—there are many such 'silent warriors' around us. They do not create noise, do not shout, do not call helplines—they just live and keep fighting alone.

Whether we are doctors, relatives, neighbors, or even strangers, it is not always possible to understand the reasons behind everyone's battles. But it is possible to respect those fights.

Everyone fights battles they cannot tell. At least we can try to understand a little and be humble. Sometimes, that is enough.

Dr Ravindra L Kulkarni Just For Hearts