Friendship Day: Three pairs of friends share what makes their bond unusual

The bridge between the street and the highriseSatish DeSa former executive creative director and educator 44 and Raaj alias Ovie Ghosh labourer 35It was back in 2005 when Satish DeSa who was making it big in the advertising world yearned to do something more selfless and satisfying Thats how he landed at a shelter in Lonavla and met Raaj The youth had run away from Kolkata and landed up on the streets of Mumbai where he got into drugs and was then being rehabilitatedThere was an instant connection between the two and one that Raaj says worked on him like magic And so even as DeSa left for Mumbai Raaj started hoarding R1 coins to make that call to his new friend on the STD booth I was surrounded by so many good people at the shelter but I cant till date explain what just listening to his voice would do to me It brought so much peace and happiness recalls RaajWhen Raaj came back to Mumbai it was DeSa whom he turned to for mentoring He is a very talented boy and innocent too Raaj has lots of dreams one of which is to sing in Bollywood Unfortunately lots of people took advantage of this dream of his says DeSa adding that his friend sings Bengali folk music beautifully In the past DeSa has made attempts at financially supporting him and also tried to get him a job interview or two But the world is not fair on people living on the street says DeSa Raaj however has never believed in giving up on his dreams He currently make ends meet by pushing loaded carts in the cityOne of the most moving moments in their friendship says DeSa was when Raaj called him out of the blue saying he wanted to know the meaning of a dream he recently had I was so touched Here was someone who was sharing his dreams with me and I didnt even know how to express my gratitude to him for making me feel so special says DeSaTheir friendship however hit a rough patch when Raaj took some money from him and put it where he shouldnt have At that time I felt so miserable I thought I had cheated my elder brother and couldnt even look him in the eye After three months of not talking DeSa who realised that their bond was too special to let go reconnected with Raaj It was a misunderstanding We are now back to where we started and it feels good Truth be told I cannot describe this bond we share I am so blessed to have him in my life and feel very protective of him I dont want to ruin what we share by giving it a label I just know its special and that there is a lot of love between the two of usAcross borders of religionFr Nigel Barrett spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bombay 50 and Ransell DSouza scientist and researcher 28Ransell DSouza had his fanboy moment 14 years ago when he met Fr Nigel Barrett on the sports ground of St Annes High School compound in Malad DSouza was in Std IX then and Fr Barrett who had previously represented India in hockey was incharge of sports at the schoolWe couldnt believe that we had such a talented sportsperson to mentor us What was even better was that he was not the typical priest In fact I was most comfortable around him says DSouza Fr Barrett on the other hand remembers DSouza as being very naughty It was however his talent in football that immediately caught the priests attentionThat he would play a crucial role in motivating DSouza to further his sports career even going the extra mile and convincing his parents that his education wouldnt be affected meant that Fr Barrett would leave a lasting impression on the teen So much so that seven years on when DSouza who belongs to a devout Catholic family declared that he was to sever his ties with the church and become an atheist their relationship which by then had grown into a beautiful friendship remained impervious to the ideological clash I would never have wanted to infringe on his thought process says Fr Barrett adding that he never convinced him to think otherwise The reason why I left the church was because I am a very strong supporter of gay rights and our religion doesnt support it But Fr Barrett has never chided me for that says DSouza Sometimes Ransell would tell me you are wasting yourself in this profession but it was always in good jest and there has always been mutual respect for each others point of view It has never come in the way of being able to talk and relate adds Fr BarrettToday despite moving to Kolkata where he is doing his PhD DSouza has continued to stay in touch with Fr Barrett the spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Bombay In fact DSouza describes his priest friend as his confidant and therapist never once giving him godly advice which he says would have otherwise put him off He even helped me during a rough patch when I broke up with my girlfriend he saysThere have been occasions when Fr Barrett has put up a post related to faith on his social media timeline and DSouza would immediately pick it up and share it sometimes even indulging in Catholicbashing But it hasnt caused a rift in our friendship admits Fr BarrettThe one time Fr Barrett gets to take a dig at his atheist friend is when Manchester United does badly in game Its payback jokes Fr Barrett Since he decides to take on God with me I can do it with his team Thats how they get evenA bond born in the trainPreksha Malu journalist 26 and Zoya Thomas Lobo 24 tarot card readerOn seeing a transgender person begging on a train one is wont to blankly stare into the phone or turn a blind eye Back in 2015 Preksha Malu would have been one among us had she not chanced upon Zoya Thomas Lobo whom she had just seen a few hours before at the Pink Rally in the same ChurchgateBorivli local as hers again My work led me to interact with her Otherwise I would have never approached her says Malu Zoya who was doing her usual rounds in the train was amused when Malu reached out to her and asked if she had participated at the rally They went on to speak about their careers and Zoya remembers enjoying that conversationSoon after they kept running into each other Both of us would acknowledge the other and sometimes even speak about how our day had been She always had so many questions to ask recalls Malu It wasnt long before numbers were exchanged and the duo became inseparable Preksha is everything to me my guardian sister and friend Whenever I am depressed or unsure about a decision in my life I just make that call to her In fact even if I do something wrong she is the first person to know about it She always gives me sound advice says ZoyaWhat Malu likes most about her friend is her distinct laughter It stays with you She also inspires me to be true to myself because she is so fiercely committed to her truth says MaluRecalling a funny incident that took place three years ago Malu says I was suffering from dengue and had just gotten better I knew I wouldnt be seeing her as often When I told her this she said nazar lag gai hogi tujhe and claimed that shed remove the evil eye She asked me to meet her at the footover bridge of Vile Parle station I agreed When I arrived she recited some mantras and threw the lemon that she had brought along It went so far that it landed on a lady at the end of a platform She was horrified and both of us were so embarrassed But her love and care for me is so pureZoya who has been trying to find her footing beyond the rigours of begging has dabbled in dancing done odd jobs in the media and also pursued higher studies Each time I have tried to do something different she has encouraged me I am now a tarot card reader and again I know I have her full support says ZoyaMalu has also introduced Zoya to her friends sisters and mum My mum is so fond of Zoya She gifted her a beautiful saree on her birthday recently It surprised me because I didnt think my mom would be so open to herThe friends admit that they have nothing in common But our love respect and camaraderie for each other stays My friendship with her has brought a new perspective to my life and opened up a world of possibilities says MaluCatch up on all the 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