Reuniting with my cat?

So, a little backstory first.

I had been living with a persian cat for 2-3 years, before we were seperated due to reasons, some scum family, but wont talk of it.
But we reunited, the cat was out for an year and injured and was last taken by that family and thrown out, it found its way to our home and we were happy. Then a year and a half later, my dad lost job and we had to leave the country, i looked for peoppe to give away to, but around the end, heard a classmate friend liked cats and his recently.passed away. I asked him if he could have my cat TILL I RETURN AND IF I DONT RETURN, TO KEEP IT FOREVER. And he agreed, we werent sure when I could return.

But now almost an year later, it seems possible to return and live there again. But I am not sure if I should. The cat is around 5-7 years old. And my friend got attached and says i should not take the cat back because he is in old age and would not want to switch environment.
In my home it was just me.mainly that loved him, others liked my cat too at home but I wss with him all the time. In his home,its him and his 3 sisters and his parents and they treat him.as family. I was told and even reassured month or 3 afo that my cat is fine and when I was hesitant to take it back because i thought my cat was old, he said to not worry, and that the cat will remember me and he will give it back.

But now it seems he got attached too and doesnt want to give, and doing research it seems persian cats live around 15-17 years when indoor. I am unsure and feel selfish for wanting my cat back.
To me, he meant more than anyone else, any person, i really loved him a lot and he was always around me and seemed happy and well and always playful. Even after we were seperated once and he found his way back to our place afrer a year, he licked my hands for a long time sfter seeing me after an year and my face and all. He was weak then but got better. I feel guilty wanting to take the cat back from family, but i feel I will regret forever if I dont.

All my friends know how much it meant to me and seeing me talk about giving him up, they knew it was a bad idea because even after an year, I still always talked about my cat to friends even when my elder brother got a new cat in the country i am now. Now he might give up the new cat or want to take it back to qatar where we might return soon, but, only one cat can stay.

And I said to my friend if the cat doesnt remember me,i wont bother him and my old cat, but if he remembers me and wants to come with me, then I will take the cat. No other cat feels the same to me and I went by a year without the cat only because of situatiins and now imagining me giving up on him.wjen i woukd have a chance to see him again and even live with him, but staying apart because of friends family and cause I dont want to bother my cat, feels very hurtful.

I dont know what to do or think, i am stressed out. I wish I could just return to the old times with my cat, i hope he forgot me so I donf have to bother him and seperate him from my friends family, but I feel selfish for wanting to take him back if my cat remembers me.
A lot happened in the years I was with my cat and it was a strong bond and I valued it very much. I do habe friends, im.not lonely if you think that I love a cat this much because I am alone. Its just, i love the cat a lot. I dont know what to do.

 

Thanks, now the only issue is with my elder bro having another cat here and can only have one cat. Oh well..

 

The cat my elder brother bought here, he tried but due to things, he is unable to bring it, so I can have the cat back with me if the cat remembers me. If it doesnt I wont bother him, i do have selfish wants sometimed to keep him even if he didnt remember me. But i know I wont go through it and will just take him back if he remembers me. But I feel better than before because I talked out a lot with my frienf and although he is attached to, he understands how much the cst meant to me and he does not mind returning it.

And thanks a lot for your views, i will keep that in mind and go for it and try not to stress much anymore. And haha thanks, I really love the cat more than anything else in the world