School friends find their way back to each other after almost 50 years

When she went out shopping, Devaki Rani Munusamy would sometimes wonder whether she might bump into Rohani Ambri, her old school friend from Methodist Girls’ School in Kuala Lumpur.

Once, their conversations had filled their school recesses. Their friendship blossomed in 1969, when they would meet over shared canteen food despite being in different classes.

Their parents had been strict, so outings were rare. School was where they’d had each other.

“She was a very nice, pleasant girl. Very quiet,” Devaki, 73, remembered. Yet another thought would then follow: after so many years, would she even recognise Rohani?

What she didn’t know was that Rohani had been searching, too. She’d even tried looking for Devaki on Kasipillay Road in Kuala Lumpur, where Devaki had once lived.

“She was always on my mind,” Rohani told FMT Lifestyle.

They had last seen each other at Devaki’s wedding in 1979. In the years that followed, they had raised children, moved across Malaysia for their husbands’ work, and lost touch.

Almost five decades slipped by, but neither woman forgot the friend who had once been such a big part of the other’s schooldays.

Across the years and moves, Devaki had kept photographs of Rohani on her wedding day tucked inside an album. Neither woman remembers how the pictures came into Devaki’s keeping.

But those photographs would eventually help bring them together again.

A few months ago, Devaki was looking through the album, hoping to show her family how one of her granddaughters resembled Devaki as a baby. Photos of Rohani caught the attention of her son, Dr Madhusudhan Shanmugam.

“I asked who this was, and she said, ‘This is my old friend. Her name is Rohani, and I have no idea where she is now’,” recalled Madhusudhan, 43, better known as the “Teddy Bear Doctor”.

His mother remembered Rohani’s husband’s name – Ropee. It was enough for Madhusudhan to begin searching. Curious about the groom’s attire, he turned to ChatGPT, which suggested it was an army uniform.

An online search for “Captain Ropee” then led him to a blog post about Captain Ropee Adman Yahayauddin, who had fought communist insurgents and was remembered for having “the heart of a lion”.

Madhusudhan was convinced he had a promising lead. Eventually, a Facebook search led him to Rohani’s son, Rafe Azsnal Ropee Adman.

Before long, Madhusudhan had Rohani on a video call and handed his mother the phone. “Hello, my old friend Devaki,” came the greeting as Devaki looked at the screen.

At first, Devaki was unsure who she was looking at. Then her son told her it was Rohani, and recognition dawned.

“It was like a dream come true. I’m seeing my friend after so many years!” Devaki shared with joy.

“I felt like hugging her,” Rohani added. With much to catch up on, Devaki went to her room so the two could speak privately.

Rohani married in 1971 at age 18, with Devaki among her wedding guests. When Devaki tied the knot in 1979, Rohani had been there, too.

Devaki recalled how, even after Rohani was married, she would drive over to pick her up so they could spend time together.

Neither could have known it would be almost 50 years before they would meet again. Their reunion came at a tender time: Rohani’s husband had died the day before that first call.

In August, the friends finally met at Rohani’s daughter’s home in Kota Damansara, Selangor. “I was so happy,” Rohani recalled.

There were hugs, food and about three hours of catching up. The schoolgirls they remembered in each other were now grandmothers, with a lifetime of family stories to share.

Today, with Devaki in Klang and Rohani in Ipoh, they keep in touch by phone and look forward to their next meeting.

For Madhusudhan, bringing them together offered a glimpse of the friendships that connect Malaysians across racial lines.

“They’ve thought of each other for many years, and they’re still so close today. It makes me happy to see this kind of friendship,” he said.

During FMT Lifestyle’s interview at Devaki and Madhusudhan’s home, Rohani, who joined by video call, asked for a clearer view of her friend’s face on screen.

“You look younger today,” Rohani remarked with a smile.

“Oh, I looked old the other day lah,” Devaki joked.

And there they were again: two old school friends, making each other laugh.

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