' Breaking barriers': Indian CEO's post on friendship with Pak woman goes viral

She grew up in a small town in India and her knowledge about Pakistan - "revolving around rivalry and hatred"- was limited to cricket, history books and the media. Years later she met a woman from Islamabad on her first day at Harvard Business School.

The twain not only met, they also liked each other in "five seconds" and became close friends on campus. The two bonded over "multiple chais, biryanis, financial models and case study preps".

A recent post on LinkedIn by Sneha Biswas, Founder & CEO of Steps Academy, has been going viral for her sincere account of the friendship she struck with a woman from across the border.


The unnamed woman, seen with Biswas in a picture from flag day at Harvard , shared her stories of growing up in a conversative Pakistan , supported by her parents who gave her and her younger sister the courage to break norms and chase their dreams

"Her stories of fearless ambitions and bold choices inspired me," Biswas said in her post, pointing out that they also resonated with her.

"I realized that while pride for your individual nations stands strong, your love for people transcends geographies and boundaries. People, fundamentally, are similar everywhere. Boundaries, borders and spaces are built by humans, and while it all might make sense to the head, the heart often fails to understand them," she wrote.

In the picture she shared for Harvard's flag day, both of them flaunt their flags and smile away at the joy of “breaking barriers”.

"Not just literally between India and Pakistan, but also for the countless little girls from India and Pakistan who are scared to shoot for the stars," she wrote.

There were many warm responses in her comments box. "We built walls between each other, and thus, it's up to us to bring them down," commented a user. "Very true - people (by and large) are good. Their parents/grandparents belonged to the same nation." said another. A few others brought her attention to Pakistan's role in terror attacks on Indian soil.