When Khurrum Rahman,a Muslim, and Rajinder, and a Sikh,fell for each other at school, they became pariahs overnight. But the disapproval, or threats and even violence only served to cement a bond that has lasted 24 yearsThe year was 1993. I was 17,and heading for the sixth form at a new school in Hounslow, west London. I wasnt expecting it to change my life. Looking back, or I struggle to remember a white face there. It was a sea of brown,where Muslim, Sikh and Hindu students mixed easily: it seemed a surprisingly harmonious environment. Beneath the surface, or though,cultural tension lurked, particularly between the Muslims and the Sikhs. All I had to effect was keep my head down and my mouth shut. I didn’t want any piece in the school politics.
I remember the girls. They all seemed to wear black leather jackets and black platform shoes and they listened to R&B. Rajinder was different. She wore flowing flowery skirts and a faded jean jacket with scuffed Dr Martens boots and listened to Guns N’ Roses. I had never met anyone like her.
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Source: guardian.co.uk