Karabi Sharma/Guwahati

This is the story of friendship living beyond death.

A Muslim from Assam set an example of humanity in helping his deceased Hindu friend’s family by going beyond his financial and personal limits.

Ritul Bora of central Assam's Nagaon district had arrived in Kerala for job. As luck would have it, he fell sick and passed away at a hospital a few days before he was set to join his job.

Although Ritul’s mother and relatives reached Kerala to take the body back home, they were slapped with a heavy bill of Rs 1.97 lakh by the hospital where he was treated and passed away.

The Rs. 1.97 lakh bill was beyond their means especially when they were away from their home. The hospital would not release the corpse unless they paid the bill.

Ritul Bora with a friend

As Ritul’s family members were working out options for raising funds to settle the hospital bills they found the messiah in Ritul’s friend Hanif Ali, who had been working in Kerala for the last 12 years as a manual worker.

Hanif said, “ I could see the family suffering and spoke to the manager in my company an advance. The manager finally agreed to give me an advance against my salary. I gave it to Ritul's family.”

Hanif said that he could not quit his job without settling the loan he had taken as an advance against his salary.

Ritul Bora with his wife in their village

“The family was in trouble and I wanted to help them. How can I see the family of my childhood friend suffering like that? They needed the help and I am happy that I could be of some use to them,” said Hanif.

It may be mentioned here that hit by the extreme hardship Ritul decided to go to Kerala to seek work. He landed in Kerala on February 24 and fell sick even before joining his work. His condition deteriorated on February 27 when Hanif had to admit Ritul to a hospital. Although the doctors at the hospital tried their best, Ritul died on March 5.

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“We will remain ever grateful to Hanif Ali. It is because of Hanif Ali that we could release Ritul’s body from the hospital. We are taking the body to his native place in Nagaon,” said Ritul’s relative Ranjit Das.