Every Raksha Bandhan, 17-year-old Anamta Ahmad makes the journey from Mumbai to Valsad for a brother she found in the most unexpected way. On Thursday, she travelled to Gujarat to tie a rakhi to 16-year-old Shivam Mistry, whose nine-year-old sister Riya donated the hand that gave Anamta a chance to rebuild her life.For Anamta, it is no longer just a Raksha Bandhan ritual. Riya’s family has become her family. “Do you know why I am here? And why do these people love me so much? Actually, my relationship with them is a little different. Because they have not only given me love, but also given me another life. Let me show you how,” Anamta said in an Instagram video posted on Raksha Bandhan.
A journey that began with a devastating accident
Her right arm had to be amputated at the shoulder, while doctors were able to save her left hand.
According to various media reports, Anamta’s life changed in October 2022, when she was playing on a terrace in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, and came into contact with an 11,000-volt high-tension power line. She suffered severe burns to both hands. Her right arm had to be amputated at the shoulder, while doctors were able to save her left hand.At just 13, she had to learn to live without her right hand. But, as she later put it, “I never lost my courage.” Two years later, a tragedy in another family opened the door to a new beginning for her. Nine-year-old Riya Mistry was declared brain dead after a brain haemorrhage in September 2024. Her family made the difficult decision to donate her organs.Riya’s kidneys, liver, one hand, lungs and corneas were donated. Her hand was transplanted to Anamta at Mumbai’s Global Hospital by Dr Nilesh Satbhaya. The transplant made Anamta the world’s youngest recipient of a shoulder-level hand transplant. Today, she can use the transplanted hand for everyday activities.
“I feel like I belong to this place”
Riya’s kidneys, liver, one hand, lungs and corneas were donated after her unfortunate death.
The transplant gave Anamta more than the ability to use a hand again. It also brought her into the lives of Riya’s parents, Trishna and Bobby Mistry, and her younger brother Shivam. When Anamta arrived in Valsad on Raksha Bandhan, a large crowd gathered to welcome her. Many residents who had known Riya and her family came to meet her. Some became emotional as they greeted Anamta and touched the transplanted hand that once belonged to Riya.“I feel like coming to home meeting my parents and especially my brother Shivam on Rakshabandhan. I feel like I belong to this place,” Anamta told TOI. For Shivam, the day was equally emotional. “I feel happy as if my sister came back to tie Rakhi to me. I recalled the times I played with Riya, and had a good time with Anamta,” he said.He gifted Anamta a makeup box, remembering that it was something Riya particularly liked.
“There has never been a religion between us”
Anamta and Riya’s family come from different religious communities. But over the past two years, that difference has never stood between them. In a Raksha Bandhan video posted on her Instagram (phoolpari_anamta), Anamta spoke about the bond she shares with the Mistrys.“We are from different religions. But there has never been a religion between us. Because some relations are not made with blood, but with humanity.” She added, “And this is the India on which I am most proud. Where doctors work hard and give a new life. And a family’s courage can change someone else’s whole world.”“Every year, I come here on Rakhi and I will keep coming. Now, Riya’s family is my family,” she said.
A family bond born from an extraordinary gift
Riya’s parents, meanwhile, remain in regular contact with Anamta.
Anamta’s father, Aqeel, said the story represents what can happen when people come together despite their differences. “The organ donation and efforts of all to make it successful is an example of unity. Anamta has four parents from different communities who love her from the bottom of their hearts,” he said. Her mother, Darksha, said watching her daughter rebuild her life after the accident has brought comfort to the family. Riya’s parents, meanwhile, remain in regular contact with Anamta. They speak to her often, particularly when they miss their daughter.For them, Anamta cannot replace Riya. But she carries a part of their daughter with her.“Today, on Rakhi day, I have come to tie Rakhi to Riya’s brother Shivam. This Rakhi is very special to me,” she said. She ended her message with a thought that captures what this unusual Raksha Bandhan means to her: “This isn’t just my transplant story. This is a story of the India I believe in. Where humanity is at the top.” “Celebrating the beautiful relationships of our country, Happy Rakshabandhan!”
