Sandhya worked as a sales manager and has been the top performer for three years in a row. She has always been meticulous at work. But ever since she received the late-night call from her brother yesterday. He mentioned his flight to India was delayed for more than 20 hours. He was stranded with no access to a mobile network, food, and temperatures reaching sub-zero.
 

She was restless and made a string of careless mistakes at work. She felt a faint queasiness every time her phone rang and hoped it would be from her brother. He had been her pillar of strength after the tragic death of her parents. Her mind replayed nightmarish thoughts and she was a scatterbrain. By the end of the day she had lost her appetite and hurried back home.
 

She didn't sleep a wink at night. The next morning with some trepidation she answered the call from her brother. He barely could speak and managed to say “Hello” in a slow, breathless murmur. She imagined the worst and before she could register anything on her mind. She heard the calm soothing voice of the doctor. The doctor informs her that due to dehydration, his lungs are incapacitated and with each passing hour his condition may worsen if immediate treatment is not made available to him.
 

She is grief-stricken and shaken to the core. She paced the room back and forth unable to make any sense of the sudden horrible turn of events. But in her heart, she knew her timely decisive action could save her brother's life. She wiped the tears threatening to fall from the corners of her eyes.
 

Without losing any composure she called her management and emailed her resignation letter. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she had pooled her savings and dialed the travel agent's number. "I need the tickets and visa immediately," she said decisively. "You need to pay double" the travel agent replied. She promptly agreed and transferred funds to the hospital for her brother's medical treatment.
 

She foraged through the family photos and was struck by the striking resemblance of them as twins. She was always the level-headed one between the two but now she was choking with myriad emotions raging within her. A doorbell chimed, interrupting her reverie.
 

Her landlord walked in, and she appraised him of the grave situation. Against the backdrop of an uncertain future, she settled all her dues. She began to pack her belongings for tomorrow's scheduled early morning flight. She took long, rapid strides to the airport lounge amid incessant drizzle and fog.
 

She called the hospital one last time before she boarded the flight. The doctor assured her that due to their swift action. Her brother's health stabilized quickly. Her brother will be shifted from intensive care to a regular ward the next day. Her joy knew no bounds when she heard him mouth the words "Sandhya" in really a long time.