Among those mourning the loss of business magnate Ratan Tata, who died Wednesday evening at the age of 86, was a young man on a bicycle who led the hearse on its final journey. Shantanu Naidu, one of Tata’s closest aides and his trusted aide, was less than half his age, but the two shared a bond like no other.

When the news of Ratan Tata’s death broke, Shantanu shared a heartfelt letter dedicated to their friendship. “I will try to fill the hole that this friendship has left for me for the rest of my life. Sadness is the price we pay for love. Farewell, my dear lighthouse.”

The two met over a decade ago in 2014, when Shantanu started working at the Tata Group.

The love for dogs brought them closer

Shantanu, a fifth-generation Tata employee, had started designing glow-in-the-dark collars for stray dogs to make it easier for drivers to spot them and prevent accidents.

The animal lover needed money to grow his business and he decided to write a letter to Ratan Tata to ask for his help. To his surprise, Tata wrote back within two months, inviting Shantanu to come to Mumbai and work with him.

Bonding over their love of animals, the two worked closely together to help launch Shantanu’s company “Motopaws”. (Also read: Ratan Tata’s dog Goa visits NCPA to pay tribute to the man who took him to Bombay House)

Shantanu also launched Good Fellows, a startup that connects elderly people with young fellow sufferers. “I don’t know when it started, but I have always had a feeling of affection for the elderly. When I look back, I realize that many of my friends have silver hair and golden hearts,” he wrote on the website.

The two grew closer through their shared initiatives, but soon Shantanu had to leave for the US to pursue his MBA. However, he promised Tata that he would return to India after graduation and work for him.

Shantanu kept his promise and accepted an offer to become Ratan Tata’s assistant and was also appointed manager of the Tata Trust, the youngest person to hold the position. In turn, Tata attended his graduation ceremony.

Watching movies, going to the hairdresser together

In a BBC profile, Shantanu shared that the two spent a lot of time together, from haircuts to watching movies. Shantanu even set up Tata’s Instagram account, where the industrialist shared old photos of himself and pictures of his dogs.

Shantanu said they both enjoyed action-comedy films like The Other Guys and The Lone Ranger, but Tata’s favorite show to binge was Fauda.

Naidu affectionately called Tata “Millennial Dumbledore,” a name he said defined the 86-year-old who was wise like the Harry Potter character but still young at heart.

During the Covid pandemic, Shantanu released his first book ‘Came Upon A Lighthouse’, based on the life lessons he learned from his boss. “He has been a tough boss, a core mentor and an understanding friend,” he told the BBC. (Also Read: Ratan Tata’s Last Journey: An Emotional Shantanu Naidu Leads His Hearse On A Bike)