The girl returned a lost wallet on the subway — two years later, the surprising truth about their “fated friendship” brought tears to everyone’s eyes

On Christmas Day in 2021, a small decision on a New York City subway quietly altered the course of two strangers’ lives. What began with a forgotten wallet has since grown into a friendship that now feels more like family.

“It was Christmas Day 2021, I had guests and was showing them around the city for the holidays,” Neena tells PEOPLE. “Directly in front of me was a leather wallet sitting on the seat.”

Inside, she found identification belonging to an older woman. Almost immediately, she imagined the stress and inconvenience that loss could cause. “I knew that if I gave it to the cops, there was a high likelihood it would never get to her, or just take a really long time,” Neena says.

Replacing cards, she adds, would have been “such a headache.” Leaving it behind wasn’t an option either. She decided to try to find the owner herself.

“I knew the right thing to do would be to spend a little time trying to find her — it was no sweat off my back and would save her a lot of trouble,” she says. Using Facebook, she tracked down Carol, the woman whose identification was inside, and arranged to return the wallet in person.

For Carol, the moment left a lasting impression. “I didn’t know why somebody would find a wallet and personally return it to a complete stranger — I was amazed that she did that,” she tells PEOPLE. Her reaction went beyond gratitude. “I thought, ‘Wow, what a good person,’ ” Carol adds.

Instead of parting ways after the exchange, Carol invited Neena to stay in touch. “I was so grateful that she returned my wallet, number one — and then she was interesting to me,” Carol says. “I said, ‘If you’re ever in the neighborhood, stop by.’ ”

Neena did take her up on it. What followed were conversations, shared meals and a connection that deepened naturally over time. “After our initial interaction, I could tell how warm and lovely she is,” Neena says. “I don’t think I expected for us to become as close as we did — and I am so glad we did.”

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Two years later, Neena documented their friendship in a TikTok clip that quickly went viral. The text overlay jokingly warns viewers not to return a lost wallet unless they want an unexpectedly special friendship.

The video shows Carol’s lake house, home-cooked meals, shared wine, laughter and evenings spent together. “She was a really pleasant surprise,” Carol says of Neena.

Going to Carol’s summer house marked a turning point. Neena says it added a new depth to the relationship. “She invited my friend and I, showed us all around the area and we watched movies and ate ice cream,” Neena says. “It was a really sweet few days.”

Seeing the friendship resonate with millions of strangers has been emotional, the pair says. The comments often reflect people’s own longing for connection.

“Human connection is the greatest gift we can give to each other and ourselves,” one commenter wrote.

“You found her wallet, she found a granddaughter 🥺🥺🥺” another said.

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Carol still thinks about the day her wallet was returned. It reminds her that generosity can arrive quietly and change everything. For Neena, the choice felt simple at the time. Two years later, she sees how much that moment continues to give back.