Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing nobody can deny, it’s that the November 14, 1997, murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk at the hands of her fellow teens is arguably the most heinous to have ever come to light. This much is even explored in Hulu’s ‘Under the Bridge,’ an eight-part true-crime drama that shines a clear light upon not just the days leading up to this harrowing ordeal but also its aftermath. Amongst those to thus be unequivocally affected by this innocently tender life lost considering their close connection to her are actually her two younger siblings, Simren as well as Aman Virk.
Who Are Reena Virk’s Siblings?
It was back in June 1979 when Indian native Manjit Virk tied the knot with Indo-Canadian Victoria resident Suman Pallan, only for them to gradually build a stable life in Saanich, British Columbia. That’s actually where they even expanded their happy family with three children; Reena was born in 1983, followed by Simren around two years later, and then Aman came into this world in 1988. The truth is that once they had their son, they knew their brood was complete since everything just felt right — they were well settled and knew they could provide their kids with all basic comforts.
Nevertheless, per Manjit’s own account in his 2008 candid memoir ‘Reena: A Father’s Story,’ he and Suman did their best to raise their kids with humility while also treating them exactly the same. He penned, “Aman was raised according to the same rules as his sisters: he helped in the yard and inside the house. He mowed the lawn, split the w ood, helped in cooking and washing the dishes as well.” This has unfortunately always been a little unusual, yet it’s true that these three siblings were always equal in every sense of the way, that is, until Reena began to rebel due to peer influence in 1997.
Though little did Manjit, Suman, Simren, or Aman know that this would soon result in her getting killed in one of the worst ways imaginable — the 14-year-old was bullied and beaten to death. The latter were 12 and 9 at the time, so, of course, the way they experienced as well as dealt with their loss was much different than their parents or any other relative — they shut down before distracting themselves. According to the book, “Simren and Aman went back to school within a few days to keep their minds off the painful scenes in the house,” including crying family members, which worried the young boy.
Manjit also added, “Simren blocked reality by playing basketball in school more aggressively, perhaps trying to relieve her anger and frustrations… The dark skies of November pervaded [our] very soul, and nothing anyone said, no comfort offered, seemed to help; sympathy cards, flowers, fruit baskets poured into the house, but the pain continued.” The fact Aman was the last person to ever speak to Reena (apart from her killers) is also something they had a hard time digesting purely because of the context — she’d called home to say she was headed back as the get-together she’d been attending had ended. She never made it.
Where Are Simren and Aman Virk Now?
From what we can tell, both Simren and Aman prefer to lead quiet lives well away from the limelight these days, indicating they’re currently doing their best to move on from the past without any outside interference. Yet, it does appear as if they’re still based in Victoria, British Colombia, where they proudly serve as hard-working professionals while also caring for their immediate family in every way conceivable. Moreover, per the last reports, the latter is also a happily married father — but alas, even his wife is not one to show off their experiences to the world.
Per Manjit’s book, while Simren “is in the work force and wants to get married someday,” Aman “found the love of his life, Libby (Elizabeth) Dawe, and got married in January 2008.” He even revealed that his daughter really loves music, movies, and socializing with friends whenever she’s not working, whereas his son’s focus is more on making progress in his spiritual life, which is something he and Libby actually connect over.
“[Aman] is a real force for good and a positive example for other youths in the community,” Manjit wrote before adding the couple “are active community volunteers, sharing Bible truths with people in the local community.” Though in the end, he also conceded these siblings are still similar in some ways; “Over the years, Simren and Aman have seldom demonstrated their sorrow over the death of their older sister, yet we know their pain was acute.”
