Friendship Day 2021: People of Vizag share their crazy friendship stories

Every one of us has at least one fond memory of the first Sunday of August, which is celebrated annually as Friendship Day. Tying friendship bracelets on our friends’ wrists, spending the whole day with them, reminiscing the good old days – that’s what Friendship Day is about. This Friendship Day, Yo! Vizag shares the stories of friendship between people who met under crazy circumstances, and how their bond went from strength to strength. 

For Anusha and Rasagnya of Vizag, they never thought that their designer-customer relationship would turn into what they are now, business partners and besties. “We met as a customer and a designer through one of my friends, Ashish, who owns a fabric store. I liked Anusha’s work and she liked my orders, so we started talking and kept in touch,” shares Rasagnya. 

Realising that both of them share common dreams and work ethics, their bond went beyond a professional relationship and they soon became best friends. “When I came to India, I realised Anusha needs a helping hand to take the business forward. We sat and brainstormed options and decided to become business partners. We launched a new brand with my long lasting idea to tell stories of women and we also continued to develop her existing business with a huge client base,” Rasagnya added. With their flagship store opening soon, the duo had an opportunity to grow fonder as friends and trustworthy partners. Anusha said that she realised that their bond can survive through thick and thin when the pandemic tested their friendship.

For Karthik and Lalitha, who met through social media, their seven years of friendship started with an accidental text. “I sent a message to him, thinking he was my childhood friend and got confused. But later on, we became friends and always fought with each other. Seven years from now, we still fight with each other but are definitely best friends,” says Lalitha. Remembering their unexpected manner of meeting each other, she says, “I never thought he would become my best friend. Though we sometimes do not talk with each other for months, the day we talk, we are the same old best friends.” 

There are stories in Vizag where friendship began with absolutely nothing. Kusuma and Swathi had nothing in common and then, they had their friendship. “Every time we meet, we wonder how we became such close friends without even knowing about each other when we met first,” said Kusuma, talking about her bond with Swathi. The duo met through a mutual friend and at the initial stage had silly fights and misunderstandings. However, as time flew, they became close friends. “When our gang meets, we really feel how silly it is that we became so close. When I shifted to Vizag, we were the most different, as compared to the friends I’ve had. But now, I always feel that she is my backbone,” said Kusuma. 

But now, you should believe that friendships can begin anywhere. If you don’t, we have more stories of friendship from Vizag to share with you. “Back in 2017, while living in Bangalore, I lived in an apartment building which is leased by Nestaway and it is rented out by many young people. I had a couple of friends there whom I knew from before but no one new. It was then that I met Pranjal with whom I had embarrassing incidents from the start. The first time we met was when he thought I was a ghost standing in a dark corridor. But later on, the brief period of our stay in that same building had many shared moments such as homemade pancake brunches, marvel movie nights and wine dinners until we moved away from that place to different cities,” said Shireen, sharing her memories with her friend Pranjal. According to Shireen, It’s crazy how a journey of a friendship starts but it is definitely a blessing to find some good ones along the way. Though now in different cities, the duo stay in touch while sharing marvel theories (and memes), discussing the perfect recipe for pancakes, vegan food discoveries, checking on one another and recently started exchanging books.