For most, the sibling bond between Washim Khan, 24, and Jennifer Thapa, 22, would surely seem fascinating. But if you tell them that, they would only look at each other’s face and laugh. As for them, apparently, their religious differences hardly ever cross their minds.[break]
“Religion,” Washim frowns a bit. “She’s just Moti Nanu (chubby little sister) to me,” he says, pulling at Jennifer’s cheeks to which she responds back with a jesting punch and adds, “And he’s my Dubley Dada (skinny older brother).”
As for celebrating Raksha Bandhan or Bhai Tika, both Hindu rituals, Washim, who considers himself almost an atheist, replies, “The (Hindu) cultural influences are only natural as we live in a mostly Hindu country. But for us, it has more to do with appreciating our sibling bond than anything else.”
It was four years ago the young pair had met through a mutual friend, who was Washim’s flat mate and Jennifer’s boyfriend then. They often hung around, cooked, went to concerts, head-banged and partied together.
On how they developed this bond, Washim says that from the very beginning when he saw the bubbly Jennifer, he felt very brotherly towards her.
“I guess we also bonded over drinks,” adds Jennifer, laughing, “Once a friend was being unreasonably skeptic, and I remember shouting at him. Then both Washim and I, in our drunken frenzy, were declaring each other “Dada!” and “Nanu!” on top of our lungs.”
Washim, who has his own siblings back in his hometown Bhairahawa, shares that he feels no different about Jennifer and them. “I love and respect all of them the same way. Actually, as Jennifer is more like a buddy to me, it’s easier to share things with her,” he says.
Often completing each other’s sentences, this sibling duo says they have never been in a single argument and each seeks the other out for any advice.
“I’ve often gone to him crying when I couldn’t share things with my parents. And through all kinds of hard times, he’s always been there for emotional support,” says Jennifer, the only child of her parents.
Though they don’t meet too often and were apart for two years as Jennifer was abroad, they say their attachment with each other has not wavered a bit.
“We’re siblings by heart,” Washim says as Jennifer goes on to add, “And that makes it much more special and stronger.”
As you watch Washim proceed to drop Jennifer home on his bike, excitedly discussing about their Bhai Tika plans, you would want to agree to John Lennon: That it really is not too hard to imagine a world – without religious barriers.
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