Rashmi Rekha Das
Recall the worst time of your life. Now try to remember that one person who stood by you in that hour of crisis. No doubt, your friend was there for you. That is what friends are for, to be there when it really counts. They make you smile in the midst of intense pain. They are like precious treasures and you can always trust on them. Sometimes they act like jerks but they are nice and always ready to give you comfort and solace during crisis. In this jet-age, it is really difficult to get a true friend and be a true friend of someone. We have hundreds of friends, both online and offline, but only the really lucky ones get to meet that one friend and companion who will stay by their side, no matter what happens. Here are heart-touching stories that show that friends are the strongest pillars of support in life.
Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, a resident of Berhampur, has something to share about his best buddy. Back in 1994 his father developed severe pain in his head due a blood clot in the brain. Doctor advised his father to undergo an operation. Being the eldest son, it was the responsibility of Rashmi Ranjan to arrange for the treatment of his father. But it was not that easy for him as he was pursuing engineering that time. On August 15, doctors referred Nayak’s father to a hospital in Vizag. He did not have enough money to take his father to Vizag. He found himself in a state of despair. However, Pravat Kumar Acharya, one of his friends, came to his rescue. He advised Nayak to take care of his father without worrying about money. As it was August 15, all banks were closed. ATM facility was not available those days. Besides, it was raining heavily. Nayak’s father was deteriorating. Acharya arranged money without delay following which Nayak and Acharya took the former’s father to Vizag. “My father was straightaway taken to the operation theatre. I was taken aback when doctors told me just after reaching the hospital that had I brought my father an hour late, it would have been difficult to save his life. I would like to thank Acharya for his help. It was not the doctors but Acharya who gave a new life to my father,” says Nayak adding that things have changed now. “Nowadays, it is difficult to get a true friend. The friend who talks sweet in front and does harm at the back is like a pot of poison with milk cream on top.”
National youth award winner Sushant Sahoo hails from a middle-class family. A storekeeper at Rajpath Motors, Sahoo was the sole breadwinner of the family. His sister was getting older by the day. She had turned 38. His parents were not in a good condition to solemnise their daughter’s marriage. So it was Sushant who had to go out looking for a groom. His monthly income was a meagre `4,000. Marriage was eventually fixed but he was clueless as to how to arrange money as he did not have ancestral property. His father had sold land and other household property. He approached many relatives for financial support but in vain. What he had with him was `50,000. But the amount was not sufficient for the marriage. However, his friends did not let him down. They came forward and did everything apart from providing financial help. They provided the required money without hesitation. “I would like to thank Gopimohan Patanaik and Ranjan Das for their kindness. I cannot forget what they did for my sister. They did not even ask for a single penny after the marriage. This is their greatness. I am lucky to have friends like them,” said Sahoo.
Hochimin Shastri’s story is indeed moving. An active member of the block in Jatni where he lives, Hochimin once had gone to oversee implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. He had helped some labourers employed under the scheme before leaving for home. On his way back, he started feeling giddy and felt gruelling sensations of pain in different parts of the body. Just after he reached home, his left leg and hand stopped functioning. He was rushed to the hospital and was immediately taken to the intensive care unit. Doctors stated that blood clots impeded normal circulation in his body that made his left leg and hand dysfunctional. When he opened his eyes following an operation, he saw his friend Shivaprasad Das standing beside his bed along with his wife. “A true friend of mine and well aware of my financial condition, Das had come with `50,000. He bore my medical expenses even though I had never asked for any help. That apart, Das’ contribution to set up my orphanage has been immense. Das, who is owner of Bhubaneswar Blue Cross Technology, was there with me when I was in crisis, he is still there with me and he will be with me in future whatever the situation. Das also supplies rice and flattened rice to my orphanage free of cost. I am proud to have a friend like him and wish to do something for him,” said Shastri.
Sreeja Punoom from Bhubaneswar has another story to tell. Punoom who is an architect by profession was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was in Class X at DAV School, Unit VIII. The disorder left her in such a state that she could not recognise anybody. She could not walk even. She did not allow anybody to come near her. She was in a state of depression. Sometimes she felt very low. However, her friends especially Lipsa did not let her down. “Lipsa used to visit my house regularly, boost my morale and did everything to make me smile. What she did for me no one can do in this world. It cannot be expressed in words. I am really thankful to God for having blessed me with such a friend,” said Sreeja.
