Cutting for Stone

When Marion and Shiva are born as conjoined twins, they are literally connected at the tops of their heads. After their physical separation, they are still constantly together, so much so that those around them think of them as one person. Marion calls that person ShivaMarion, and for the first years of their lives, Shiva does not speak, because Marion speaks for both of them: “I became the first to breathe—senior by a few seconds. I also became spokesperson for ShivaMarion” (229). ShivaMarion is seen as a single entity, both by their family and out in public. At the Merkato, for instance, they are a spectacle, “as if ShivaMarion was a lion in the cages at Sidist Kilo” (230). Everything that they own is part of a matched pair. They walk with their arms around each other, stepping in sync, and “seated, we shared a chair, seeing no sense in occupying two” (230). They act and are treated as one entity.

Slowly, however, Marion and Shiva begin to separate as they develop their own interests. Shiva pulls away first when he becomes interested in dance, and Marion sees him as a traitor. This distance is increased when Shiva tries to protect Koochooloo’s puppies as Marion looks on. Marion feels this happening, saying, “[I]n the days after the death of the pups, I felt our identities slowly separating” (250). Their slow separation is punctuated by moments of closeness, like when they run together to bring a child to the hospital. Marion revels in these moments: “I remember thinking, in the midst of that panic, how much I missed that state, and how exhilarating it was to be ShivaMarion” (276). In addition, although they are apart during the day, they always sleep together, which Marion finds comforting: “[M]y greatest relief that night came when my head touched Shiva’s, a sense of safety and completion, a home at the end of the world. Thank God that whatever happened we’d always have ShivaMarion to fall back on, I thought” (301). However, as Marion and Shiva get older, their separation continues slowly. In this way, ShivaMarion embodies childhood, and their separation represents the loss of innocence that comes with growing up.

This loss of innocence gains a literal representation when Shiva and Genet have sex, losing their virginity to each other. Marion sees Shiva’s actions as a betrayal, and their relationship is shattered. He is heartbroken over his love for Genet, as well as Shiva’s unthinking, hurtful actions. Their gradual separation becomes a deep rift, and Marion moves into Ghosh’s quarters, forcing a physical separation with Shiva for the first time. Marion is angry, and the brothers do not repair their rift before Marion is forced to leave the country. Despite being practically estranged, Shiva gives Marion his two prized possessions: Gray’s Anatomy and Thomas Stone’s book, with a bookmark from their mother. While this gift is Shiva’s only attempt at reconnecting with Marion, the gesture symbolizes their enduring connection as twins. They have grown apart, but they are still one at heart.

Once Marion is in America, their separation seems to be permanent. Marion speaks with Shiva just once, and they make plans for him to visit, but nothing ever comes of it. When Marion is diagnosed with hepatitis and his death seems impending, Shiva finally comes to New York with Hema. The physical distance between the twins disappears, and they are once again by each other’s sides. When Shiva arrives at the hospital, he curls up next to Marion in bed, just as they slept when they were children. This demonstrates the power of their connection; while they have been apart for decades, they can tap back into a childlike feeling of oneness. In a final act of reconciliation, Shiva donates a piece of his liver to save Marion. Here, their unity becomes physical, and the twins are corporeally connected once more, symbolizing a return to their original connection.

Just as childhood and innocence cannot be recaptured, this connection between Marion and Shiva is cut short when Shiva dies after the surgery. However, Marion realizes that because he has Shiva’s liver, Shiva lives on in his body. With this, their intrinsic connection takes on a new form. Marion understands that although they were apart, they were always ShivaMarion: “Shiva and I were one being—ShivaMarion. Even when an ocean separated us, even when we thought we were two, we were ShivaMarion'' (639). Moreover, he sees them as one entity, as they were originally meant to be: “One being at birth, rudely separated, we are one again” (640). When Marion sees Hema after Shiva’s death, he announces, “Here we are,” (641), presenting himself as both Marion and Shiva. At last, the twins are one again, forever ShivaMarion.