Sometimes, friendship blooms in the most unexpected of places. One university student from Malaysia found it with a cleaning lady on campus.
In a short series of heartwarming videos on TikTok, he gave viewers a glimpse into his daily interactions with the elderly woman.
One of them showed her handing him a curry puff before an exam, while another featured her showing him the gifts she received from others in a storeroom.
Source: @puteq_unipurple on TikTok
So close is the bond they share that the student even describes her as being like a mother to him.
In January, student Putera Haikal aka @puteq_unipurple shared a TikTok video of him and the cleaning lady on his university campus in Malaysia.
Titled ‘POV: Acik (auntie) cleaner like (your) mom’, the clip showed him following the cleaning lady to her storeroom, where she kept a bunch of presents.
At one point, she proudly showed off a hamper she received. Not forgetting to spread the joy, she took a bag of what appeared to be food and gave it to Putera.
In another video, Putera filmed the cleaning lady walking up to him to give him some curry puffs.
In the onscreen text, he explained that she had given him the pastry as a pre-exam energy booster.
Source: @puteq_unipurple on TikTok
Meanwhile, in the caption, he thanked the cleaning lady and hoped that God would bless her and other workers like her.
Later in the video, he showed himself eating the curry puff alone on a stairwell.
He also superimposed a screenshot of a message from the cleaning lady in which she said she had brought curry puffs and nasi lemak for him.
Touched by her gesture, Putera wiped some tears away.
In an interview with World of Buzz, Putera revealed that he and the cleaning lady have been close since his first day on campus.
Since then, they would exchange greetings every morning.
In a fateful twist, he also discovered that they were born in the same month.
The cleaning lady would often look out for him by asking him whether he had eaten.
Sometimes, she would even give him breakfast before class.
Source: @puteq_unipurple on TikTok
“I feel appreciated, and she reminds me of my mother, especially after finding out that I have an upcoming exam,” he shared.
The bond between the student and the cleaning lady warmed many viewers’ hearts.
Some were even inspired to reflect on memories with their own cleaning and canteen ladies.
One viewer said they are extremely close with a cleaning lady they had known since primary school all the way up to university.
They added that the cleaning lady sees them as one of her own, to the extent that she gave them a birthday present.
Source: TikTok
Another said they are close to all these ‘aunties’ — from the cleaning lady to the canteen lady — adding that the canteen lady is the best as she would keep food for them if they had a late meal.
One viewer said that people like these cleaning ladies can fill the void in one’s heart when one misses their family.
Furthermore, they are people to whom you can pour your heart out.
Putera could clearly relate, as he replied to the comment with a sad face and heart emoji.
Source: TikTok
Meanwhile, one commenter reminded Putera to repay the cleaning lady when he becomes successful one day.
Source: TikTok
Also read: Dog In S’pore Loves Cats But Keeps Scaring Them Off, Finally Befriends One At Clinic
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Featured image adapted from @puteq_unipurple on TikTok, TikTok & TikTok.
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