One love, one heart

Christians are a friendly lot and I know that very well as one of my closest friends, Amrita is Catholic. We have shared some of the best times together. While we have our own views on things, we have never let any of that come in the way of our friendship. I like exploring different cultures, so I have never hesitated to visit a church or a chapel with her. Of the many places I have been to, I am in love with this chapel in Bandra called Prarthanalay, where Amrita often takes me to. We spend hours there and it is very relaxing, away from the chaos of the world. Amrita has made me realise that when the thoughts of two individuals match, religion and caste seem frivolous. Humanity is above all religions.
Mansi Sule, Mahim resident

Knowing Mansi has been a delight. When I see her dressed in a salwar-kameez, I instantly identify that day as some festival, which we then celebrate in full swing. She has made me realise there are no cultural boundaries when two hearts connect. Mansi gets me amazing food cooked by her mom and has introduced me to Maharashtrian culture. I can draw many parallels between Maharashtrian and Christian cuisines. The sweets made during Diwali and Christmas have almost the same ingredients but cooked differently. So, we both are different yet similar in many ways.
Amrita Mendonza, Andheri residentww

I have known Neola since the first day of junior college; it has been an incredible journey of 11 years. Neola's parents are the sweetest people I've ever met; they've created a happy image of a welcoming Christian family in my mind. Christmas is always an exciting event and the celebrations at her house are amazing with the warmth and love of the family and friends who visit on Christmas Eve. And it's not just her family; the entire community is very welcoming. Attending Christmas mass is a beautiful experience. Neola's friendship has taught me to respect other religions and that every culture has good values that you can adopt. Be it the delicious food or the joyful nature of the people, I have grown fond of the Christian community.
Gauri Chaubal, Dadar resident

It's been 11 years since I've stayed in Mumbai and I'm glad that during the first few days of XI Std. in St. Xavier's College, I met Gauri and some of my closest friends. At the time, neither did I speak nor understand Marathi so travelling by the local train was cumbersome. But with the help of my friends, I was not only trained in Marathi but also got to experience the delights of Maharastrian cuisine and the festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Holi and more. Whenever Gauri's mami made something that she knew I would enjoy, she would send an extra tiffin box for me. It's only when we meet people from different faiths, spend time with them and open ourselves to their experiences, do we really understand a culture or religion. That's when stereotypes get shattered and we begin to respect the individual and the religion that they belong to.
Neola D'Souza, Borivli resident

Abeezar and I share the same interests like music, photography and travel. We connect on various levels in spite of being different from each other. Honestly, it wouldn't have made any difference the community that he belongs to because we like each other's company. We share a great camaraderie and respect each other's religion. Abeezar is always present for all our festivals like Diwali and other important occasions and I enjoy being a part of the Eid celebration at his place. His folks consider me as family and I really like how liberal-minded they are.
Mitesh Kothari, Fort resident

Mitesh and I are buddies and we care for each other. I know that I can trust him and I also know that he trusts me. We hang out together and have fun but we also argue over almost everything. Strangely, the fact remains that religion is neither discussed nor is it ever a concern for us. We value our friendship and respect each other's religion. As far as we are concerned, hailing from different religious backgrounds has only strengthened our bond. In fact, our friendship gives us a chance to participate in each other's faith and gives us a better understanding of each other's customs.
Abeezar Attarwala, Fort resident

A friend in need is a friend indeed, irrespective of caste or creed. I believe that every religion speaks the same language, that of good deeds and of service to humanity. My friend circle comprises a mixed bunch of people from various beliefs and they mean the world to me. Most of my closest friends are Zoroastrians. Kainaz and I have been the best of friends since school. We bonded, instantly! She is like my soul sister and her daughters are the love of my life. I always look forward to celebrating Parsi New Year with them and they, in turn, have always been a part of the Eid festivities at my place. I believe that there is no religion in friendship; rather, there is no religion greater than friendship.
Tahera Nasser, Grant Road resident

My friend Tahera and I met in school and became friends instantly. Since then, our friendship has only grown stronger. In all these years, it never even occurred to us that we belong to different religious backgrounds. Tahera is my family and is a part of every function and ritual that takes place in my house. Even my daughter calls her masi, which means mother's sister. We may have a difference in opinion at times but when it comes to religion, we only have respect for each other. For every festival, we come together as one big family and celebrate it in our own simple way.
Kainaz Kasnavia, Charni Road resident