At 5 am each morning, 63-year-old Kiran Kamdar wakes up in her modest Palghar home and heads straight to the kitchen. A 50-litre cauldron awaits her, as do 15 kg of rice, 10 kg of lentils, and the early signs of Parkinson’s — tremors, stiffness, and pain.

But for the last five years, Kiran has followed this routine with unwavering dedication. With the help of her husband, Girish, and daughter, Palak, she prepares over 100 portions of warm, nourishing khichdi that are delivered to patients at the DM Petit Government Hospital by 7:15 am.

It began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kiran saw the struggles of overworked medical staff and relatives going hungry. She approached the hospital with a simple offer: “Let me cook for them.” Since then,........

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