Are you sitting all by yourself wondering how sharing your feelings with someone could make you feel better but got nobody to talk to? Look no further. Just rent a brother and pour your heart out. “I was looking for a different topic for my research in next semester,” said Kishwer Baqar on show ‘Naya Din.’ He is the one who came up with Rent-a-Bro. “My interests included loneliness, self-isolation and seclusion.” Kishwer, who holds a Master’s in History, said his research was influenced by the hikikomori phenomenon in Japan. It is an acute social withdrawal that may stretch for as long as nine years and is triggered by an extreme burden of social responsibilities. According to a BBC report, at least half a million men were socially withdrawn in 2019 and refused to leave their bedrooms. Kishwer, who holds a Master’s in History, said his research was influenced by the hikikomori phenomenon in Japan. It is an acute social withdrawal that may stretch for as long as nine years and is triggered by an extreme burden of social responsibilities To help these men emerge from isolation, a company called Rent-a-Sister was founded by a woman. She met the hikikomori and persuaded them to continue their education and work. Although Kishwer didn’t notice hikikomori in Pakistan, a survey conducted by him showed that most people don’t respect the freedom of choice of others. “They start keeping to their rooms when their family doesn’t accept them,” said Kishwer, highlighting how students often have no other choice than taking up either medical or engineering when it comes to choosing a career. Kishwer’s research inspired him to start Rent-a-Bro. It comprises a small of five: three women and two men. Renting a brother follows a simple process. All you have to do is make a request on their Instagram and answer a few questions such as: Why do you want a brother? How will you spend time with the brother? What do you expect from him? These questions help the team ensure that you are a serious client and not just playing around. If you are applying to be a brother, you are required to fill out a form, which is followed by an interview. If hired, Rent-a-Bro will provide you training on how to interact with the clients and it mostly involves listening to them. There are no current openings. Kishwer said the response to his service has been overwhelming. Their clients include both men and women, but men prefer to meet more in person.