Chapter 39: The Heart of Trust
September 1983 – Singh Technologies Medical Division, Lucknow
The morning was warm and fragrant. The faint scent of lemongrass and machine oil mingled with sandalwood incense that drifted in from the small shrine just outside the research lab. A ceiling fan whirred gently, stirring papers, while filtered sunlight pushed through the tall windows, casting long shadows on the floor.
In the center of the medical wing, the room buzzed—not with noise, but nervous energy.
Engineers adjusted wires. Nurses arranged stretchers. A technician triple-checked the batteries on every device. On the far wall, a chalkboard had been wiped clean and rewritten in large, careful Hindi:
> "स्वास्थ्य परीक्षण और प्रतिक्रिया कार्यक्रम – भारत सरकार"
Feedback & Testing Program – Government of India
Pooja stood by the central table, clipboard in hand, her white dupatta tucked behind her shoulder. Her face was calm, but her eyes flicked around the room—monitoring everything.
Ajay stood by the entry, pacing ever so slightly. His kurta was freshly pressed, but he kept checking the cuffs. Behind him, Bharat sat cross-legged near the corner, silently observing, a small sketchpad balanced on his knee.
> There was a tension in the air—the kind that only comes when something important is about to happen.
---
Arrival of the Visitors
At 10:23 a.m., the room grew quiet.
The soft rumble of Ambassador cars echoed in the driveway. Doors opened. Footsteps approached.
And then, in walked the delegation.
A tall, fair man with silver-rimmed glasses—Dr. Bhattacharya from AIIMS, renowned cardiologist.
A soft-spoken woman in a maroon sari with a medical tag—Dr. Lata Mishra, head of rural health from Rajasthan.
Two stern bureaucrats from Delhi with files tucked under their arms.
A group of state health officers from Uttar Pradesh, notebooks open, eyes sharp.
Finally, the Minister of Health, in a cream-colored bandh-gala suit, entered the room with folded hands.
> "Namaste," he said warmly. "Shall we begin?"
---
The Room Reacts
The moment was real now.
Doctors began slowly circling the room. Some leaned over to inspect the Jeevan-1. Others examined the Bal Suraksha Pad, gently pressing on the pads, tilting the waveform displays, asking quiet questions.
"Does this record the past two minutes?" asked Dr. Bhattacharya.
"Yes," replied an engineer. "And you can mark event points."
"Hmm," the doctor murmured. "That's better than what we have in some district hospitals."
At the other table, a nurse whispered in surprise when the ShabdBox suddenly spoke in Hindi:
> "अब दवा लेने का समय हो गया है।"
A government officer chuckled. "Even my mother could use this."
Pooja stepped forward. "It can also switch to Awadhi, Bhojpuri, and Bengali. We're working on Tamil."
Dr. Lata Mishra smiled. "You're not just building tools. You're restoring agency."
---
A Patient's Voice
In a corner bed, 60-year-old Ramdeen—who had volunteered as a patient—lay on his back, leads attached to his chest.
He turned slightly toward Bharat and said softly, "बाबू… अब तो मेरी धड़कन दिख रही है मशीन में?"
("Babu... now even my heartbeat is on this machine?")
Bharat smiled. "Yes, Baba. You are safe. Your heart is speaking now, and we are listening."
Ramdeen stared at the little green wave pulsing across the screen. It was the first time he had ever seen his own heartbeat.
A quiet awe filled the room.
---
The Minister's Reaction
The Minister walked slowly from one table to the next, asking simple, grounded questions:
> "Will this work during voltage drop?"
"Can an ASHA worker use it without formal training?"
"How long do batteries last?"
"Can you clean it with hospital alcohol?"
For each question, a calm, tested answer was given.
At the Bal Suraksha Pad, he paused and watched as a simulated infant breath monitor gave a soft alarm for a delayed inhale.
He blinked. "We've lost so many newborns to silence. If this can give us sound…"
Ajay nodded. "Then maybe that silence will be broken."
---
Small Conversations, Big Impressions
Doctors leaned in closer. Some tapped the plastic casing. Others scribbled notes.
"Where did you source this display?"
"Custom-built from recycled parts of old projector kits," a technician replied.
"What about maintenance? Will it need engineers every month?"
"No sir," Bharat finally spoke, softly. "Any technician who can fix a radio can fix this."
There was laughter. A soft wave of ease passed over the group.
---
A Deeper Thought – Doctor to Doctor
In the corner, Dr. Lata turned to Pooja.
"You could've just gone abroad. With your husband's job, with this boy's genius… why not leave?"
Pooja looked toward Bharat.
"We don't want to chase legacy," she said. "We want to change reality."
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Minister's Private Meeting
Later that afternoon, with tea cups clinking and samosas steaming on steel trays, the Minister called a private meeting in the conference room.
Wood-paneled walls. An old ceiling fan. Glasses of nimbu-pani sweating on the table.
He sat across from Ajay, flanked by his advisors.
> "Mr. Singh," he said. "What you and your team have built… is not just innovation. It is national infrastructure in embryo."
He placed a signed file gently on the table.
> "I am issuing a central policy directive today:
Singh Technologies will be fast-tracked as a trusted government partner.
Devices used in public clinics will be tax exempt.
Special relief will be provided for components and assembly.
No government department will delay your licensing or clearance.
And we will work with you to create a unified public health toolchain for rural India."
Ajay exhaled slowly. "Thank you, sir. We will not let the nation down."
The Minister smiled.
> "You already haven't."
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That Evening – Under the Neem Tree
Outside, as the sun dipped low, Bharat sat again under the old neem tree, pages scattered around him. He traced a new sketch—a future device with tiny wheels and a diagnostic arm.
A soft breeze rustled the leaves.
He thought of the patients. Of the nurses who smiled when a machine saved time. Of the doctors who cried when it saved a life.
He didn't think of profit. Or pride. He thought only of this:
> "Machines should never replace people.
But they should always protect them."
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