Rakhi of the Heart: Muslim Teen Ties Sacred Thread to Hindu Donor’s Brother

Gift of a Hand, Birth of a Sibling Bond

Mumbai: In a deeply moving celebration of Raksha Bandhan, 15-year-old Anamta Ahmed from Mumbai tied a rakhi on Shivam Mistry’s wrist — the brother of the late girl whose donated hand changed her life forever.

Their story began in heartbreak. In October 2022, Anamta lost her right arm after accidentally touching an 11,000-volt high-tension wire at a relative’s home in Uttar Pradesh. Her life changed overnight, as she faced the trauma of losing a limb and the emotional scars that followed.

Meanwhile, in September 2022, Riya Mistry, Shivam’s elder sister and a bright Class 4 student from Valsad, Gujarat, tragically passed away from a sudden brain haemorrhage. In their moment of unimaginable grief, Riya’s family made the courageous decision to donate her organs — including her hands.

‘We Lost a Daughter, But Gained Another’

One of Riya’s hands was successfully transplanted onto Anamta, making her the youngest person in the world to undergo a shoulder-level hand transplant, according to the NGO Donate Life.

A year later, the two families met in Valsad, where Anamta tied a rakhi on Shivam’s wrist. Dressed in a pink salwar-suit, she said, “I do not have a brother and Shivam lost his only sister. From now on, we are siblings.”

Trishna Mistry, Shivam’s mother, was overcome with emotion: “When Anamta tied the rakhi, it felt like Riya came back to life. We lost one daughter, but got another.”

In a world often divided, Anamta and Shivam’s story reminds us that true relationships are forged not just by blood, but by love, empathy, and sacrifice.