Sharada Devi & Niranjana Nair believe empathy & understanding makes their friendship strong

In our monthly feature #FriendshipGoals, today we have Sharada Devi and Niranjana Nair from Trivandrum. The duo who met in college, have remained thick friends for nearly a decade now. Their journey together has been all about fun, understanding and being there for each other. Read on to know more.

Sharada Devi and Niranjana Nair met over a decade ago while they were in college. The duo have maintained their friendship in spite of their busy schedules and long distance. What makes their bond stronger is their fondness for each other and understanding. Sharada who has a loco motor disability is a research scholar from Trivandrum. Niranjana is a research scholar too.

Fun-filled college days

Both Sharada and Niranjana remembers the first day they met. Apparently, it is still fresh in their memory. Both of them had joined for BA in English Literature at Trivandrum Women’s College. Niranjana says that she first saw Sharada during admission procedures way before college started. Meanwhile, Sharada remembers how they had an instant connection on the first day of class!

“There were other students with disabilities in our batch, but Sharada was the only student from our class. On the first day, we started talking. It was not too hard to start a conversation with her. Within no time, we bonded too”, says Niranjana.

Sharada says, “On the first day of college, most students take time to bond because they are all coming from different schools and backgrounds. I noticed Niranjana because of her charisma. There was so much positivity about her”.

Due to accessibility issues, Sharada couldn’t always step out like how most of her classmates did. So their interactive sessions were often inside the classroom itself. But the duo, along with their other classmates, made sure to enjoy it to the fullest. “Niranjana is the first person with whom I made friends with in college. What attracted me to her was her intelligence and she was a bright student too. More than anything else, she is a compassionate and empathetic human being”, says Sharada.

Niranjana likes the fact that Sharada is a very positive and optimistic person. “It is very hard to find such people around us right now. She is willing to work hard and has overcome many struggles. I have never heard Sharada cringe or complain”, says Niranjana.

Bond for a lifetime

Niranjana points out that Sharada has faced numerous problems due to lack of accessibility inside college campus. “There are times when we wanted to go out but couldn’t due to lack of accessibility. When our friends get married, Sharada is unable to make it most of the times because the places are inaccessible”, tells Niranjana who points out that it is high-time officials make public places accessible.

Both Niranjana and Sharada knows that their bond is for a lifetime. “I feel empathy is what is needed for anyone to be friends with a person with disability, only then can they accept you as a friend”, says Sharada. “I feel being there for each other when you need is what makes friendship strong”, points out Niranjana.

The duo have been unable to meet each other due to lockdown in spite of being in the same city. So they haven’t planned anything for the upcoming friendship day either. “Thanks to technology, we can keep in touch during these tough times”, say Sharada and Niranjana.

Watch in Sign Language

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