As neighbors in Deesa, India, Suresh Kothari and AG Shakir spent the first 13 years of their lives inseparable from each other.
But in 1947, the British Empire retreated in the aftermath of World War II, resulting in the partition of India. In the chaos and violence of the partition, 1 million people were killed and 14 million more were displaced, including Shakir’s family.
Kothari returned home from school one day to find Shakir gone. After scouring their community for any news of his friend, he found and memorized Shakir’s new address in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
As the years passed, their letters failed to reach each other as tensions rose between their two countries.
It wasn’t until 1982 that the two found each other again in New York, marking their first reunion in 35 years. Kothari recounted the story to his granddaughter Megan, saying, "So much time had passed, but it was like no time had passed at all.”
Kept apart by the partition, the cost of traveling, and the throes of the pandemic, the two continued to spend the majority of their lives apart, only to reunite again in 2024, as Kothari celebrated his 90th birthday with his 89-year-old best friend at his side.
“The love and respect they still held for each other, despite the geographical and political barriers that had separated them, is profound,” Megan wrote. “It serves as a powerful reminder that the power of human connection can not be extinguished by any government or border.”
A version of this article originally appeared in the 2025 Relationships Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
You may also like: How a chance meeting on vacation helped an 81-year-old widow rediscover joy
