Heart and Soul: Lucky to be his daughter

Dr Arunananda Ray in the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, in May 2010. Photo: Dr Nandita Ray

My father, Dr Arunananda Ray, lies in the Intensive Care Unit. Tubes run into his neck, nose, abdomen and his emaciated limbs. The machines he is hooked up to constantly beep, flash, whir and occasionally set off alarms that send chills down every fibre of my being.

I am allowed in for brief periods a couple of times a day. I use those precious minutes to rub his now-knobby head and parchment-like skin stretching across his thin face and limbs.