Tested by illness, bound by choice: Couple to marry on Valentine’s eve

Indore: The calendar says Valentine's week. The hospital chart says dialysis on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Between the two, Indore's Megha Paliwal and Bhilai's Aditya Sahu found a wedding date.On Friday, Feb 13, the couple will marry even as Megha undergoes regular dialysis after both her kidneys failed, a reality that reshaped their lives over the past year.Their story began in 2017 at a company in Baroda, where they worked together. Friendship grew into a relationship in 2019, and over time, their families became part of the journey. Aditya proposed to Megha at London's Tower Bridge, a memory she still holds close.Over time, families were involved and plans were made. Soon after, Megha's health began to decline. Medical investigations revealed that she was suffering from an autoimmune disorder that ultimately caused both her kidneys to fail. She was hospitalised for more than 6 weeks in ICU and underwent intensive steroid treatment that left her physically frail."That period changed me. There were days I did not recognise myself in the mirror, but Aditya never changed the way he looked at me. He and my family were my support system," Megha told TOI, as she reached Chhattisgarh for her wedding. Megha, an AI project manager currently based in Indore, had been building her corporate career steadily. Aditya works in the manufacturing sector in Bhilai.Two transplant procedures were scheduled but later cancelled due to medical complications. Her elder sister Chanchal said all close relatives were tested, yet none could donate. The family has now registered for cadaver kidney transplants in Ahmedabad and Kolkata. Meanwhile, Megha undergoes dialysis every alternate day, and even the wedding date was chosen to fit that cycle.Aditya said the decision to go ahead with the marriage was never in doubt. "People asked if we would postpone. For me, there was no such question. Illness is part of life. Marriage means sharing that, not stepping away," he said. He added that hospital corridors became as familiar as wedding markets. "We discussed reports and rituals in the same breath. That is how this phase was."