Seeing Double

A pair of twins sit together laughing, one with a sketchbook in hand, the other with a beaded necklace around her neck. Despite being genetically identical, freshmen twins Hifza and Sehrish Farooq have distinct personalities. 

Their contrasting styles and characteristics are major distinguishing factors between them, and after getting to know them, it becomes clear that the two are very different. Hifza prefers jewelry and fashion, while Sehrish makes art and plays sports. Hifza comes off as energetic, while Sehrish seems more laid back.

“When it comes to style, we are complete opposites, but people still mistake us sometimes,” Hifza said. “Being confused for Sehrish can annoy me sometimes, [but] it just depends on the person and if they do it often.” 

Sehrish, on the other hand, does not particularly mind being mistaken for her sister or asked questions about being a twin. For the most part, she finds the confusion amusing, and the twins occasionally take the chance to prank their friends by pretending to be each other. 

“We have switched places before; this one time we dressed up as each other on Opposite Day and nobody could tell us apart. My mom called me Hifza, and I was like ‘I’m Sehrish,’” Sehrish said. “There was also one time that we were in elementary school and we had this parade thing. Both of us were there, and everyone kept confusing us. It was so fun.”

Though the two each have unique characteristics, they appreciate each others’ differences. The twins spend most of their time together, both inside and outside of school. They pass their lunches and breaks in the same friend groups and walk each other to their classes. At times, after finishing their homework, they play video games and watch television together despite not enjoying the same shows. 

“Sehrish is a very hardworking person. She works a lot harder than me, definitely. She’s also very kind, and she’s very caring as well. I remember this one time that I got really sick. She was really worried about me, and she was there for me the whole time,” Hifza said. 

Their interests began to diverge at a young age. This bled into their hobbies and actions; while both enjoy more creative activities, Hifza became passionate about design whereas Sehrish focused on art and sports.

“When Hifza looks back at how we dressed when we were younger, she saw how our parents dressed us, [and] that’s kind of when she got into fashion,” Sehrish said. “She really liked it and was like, ‘I kind of want to design clothing.’” 

Sehrish’s interests took her in a different direction. She plays soccer, basketball and badminton. Though not currently on a team, she plans to go into team sports next year. 

“I just enjoy playing sports,” Sehrish said. “I’ve also liked art since I was young; I remember I was in elementary, and I used to draw stuff for school. So, I got into it when I was way younger.”

Sehrish does a variety of arts and crafts, such as making small clay figures, editing videos, drawing, painting and sketching. Hifza sells the bracelets, necklaces and earrings she makes online through Instagram.

“I started jewelry making, and I real

ly liked it. I still like it now; it’s something that I love doing. At first, I just wanted to have some pocket money, but then, before I knew it, it became a hobby,” Hifza said.

Like all siblings, they have their arguments and disagreements. There are downsides to being a twin, such as sharing their belongings and being held to the same expectations. However, they still appreciate the memories they have made together, from participating in the middle school drama production to going to Disneyland together. 

“The best part of being a twin is probably having someone who is so close to you and you can share anything with. We may get into petty arguments, but when it comes to being there for each other, we are always there,” Hifza said. “And you can have a sibling who you’re really close to, but it’s never going to be the same when you have a twin, someone who is the same age as you.”