loneliness

एकल जीवन की सराहना
A photograph of a woman facing a water body lined with blades of grass. The sky is tinged with orange and blue.
एकल जीवन की सराहना

Growing up, for me, has been about accepting that the loneliness and sadness woven into the fabric of my being do not go away with entering conventional arrangements like monogamous relationships or marriage.
By Siddhi Pandey
August 20, 2024
एकल जीवन की सराहना
Editorial – The Pandemic and Sexuality
Artwork showing two finger-like landmasses connected by a bridge in the middle while a sun rises in the distance.
Editorial – The Pandemic and Sexuality

This month’s offering of articles, poems and fiction is an eclectic mix that (mostly) reflects what was borne out of the pandemic, and its impact on sexuality, intimacy, relationships, and more.
By TARSHI
May 16, 2024
Editorial – The Pandemic and Sexuality
Living in Manbir Colony
rain dropping from roof
Living in Manbir Colony

Days upon days rushed by, tatoh chiya, alu thukpa, chicken cowrie, and beer kept us warm during the rejections.
By Hitaishi Gautam
April 18, 2024
Living in Manbir Colony
Lockdown Logs
black pen on the open pages of a diary.
Lockdown Logs

Why does the gap feel so wide no matter how much I explain, again and again, that I do not mean to hurt him… hurt any of them? I feel torn… but Amma and Appa need my help at home. Lockdown has been so damn hard.
By Kaveri
April 18, 2024
Lockdown Logs
On the day my lover would die
Sliced white and brown mushrooms on brown wooden table.
On the day my lover would die

I would once again be theirs, in memory, on the day my lover would die.
By Sara Haque
April 18, 2024
On the day my lover would die
महामारी, आत्म-देखभाल, और सामूहिक देखभाल – ‘तारशी’ के अनुभव
An artwork that depicts humanoid figures in various postures connected to each other on a black background with twinkling stars.
महामारी, आत्म-देखभाल, और सामूहिक देखभाल – ‘तारशी’ के अनुभव

हमारा मानसिक स्वास्थ्य सिर्फ़ हमारी इकलौती ज़िम्मेदारी नहीं है बल्कि उन संस्थाओं और व्यवस्थाओं की भी ज़िम्मेदारी है जिनका हम हिस्सा हैं। इसलिए हमारी सेहत और ख़ुशहाली बनाए रखने के लिए इनका योगदान ज़रूरी है।
By Vani Viswanathan
April 18, 2024
महामारी, आत्म-देखभाल, और सामूहिक देखभाल – ‘तारशी’ के अनुभव
LOVE SEX + ROBOTS
An artist’s illustration of artificial intelligence (AI). This image depicts a look inside how AI microchips are designed with inputs and outputs.
LOVE SEX + ROBOTS

Even with all the risks that AI poses, it seems a safer bet than humans trying to exploit dating apps to make quick money.
By Siddharth Narrain
December 18, 2023
LOVE SEX + ROBOTS
On Looking for Love
An illustration which depicts three heart-shaped pieces of wood suspended from wires, one of them clearly in the foreground, the other two a little smaller and in the background
On Looking for Love

I wanted to be one of those people who decide to never date again and actually follow through. Indeed, I decided that a lot. A resolution that was broken so many times that it became a running joke in my head.
By Wesley D'Souza
February 1, 2022
On Looking for Love
Editorial – Sexuality and SISA Spaces
Close-up of a sunflower field and the sun rising over hills in the background.
Editorial – Sexuality and SISA Spaces

We envision SISA spaces as non-judgmental, inclusive, rights-based and affirming spaces wherein people’s sexuality, their identities, wellbeing, choices, desires and pleasure are respected.
By TARSHI
January 3, 2022
Editorial – Sexuality and SISA Spaces
Navigating love, loneliness and singlehood
A photo of the throat, clavicles and shoulders against a black background. The body is highlighted with golden brown light and there is a mole at the base of the throat.
Navigating love, loneliness and singlehood

The desire for intimacy might rob one of the intimacy that one shares with oneself and thus, being with the beloved can leave one feeling even lonelier because of the continuing struggle for validation and comfort.
By Anonymous
January 3, 2022
Navigating love, loneliness and singlehood
A pandemic, self-care, and collective care: Experiences from TARSHI
An artwork that depicts humanoid figures in various postures connected to each other on a black background with twinkling stars.
A pandemic, self-care, and collective care: Experiences from TARSHI

The pandemic has put us through interesting times, to say the least – of reflecting, learning, realigning, thinking about what really matters, a time to pause and care for ourselves with kindness. At TARSHI, we’re just delighted to have been able to do the same – while also sharing something of what we’ve learnt with you.
By Vani Viswanathan
July 19, 2021
A pandemic, self-care, and collective care: Experiences from TARSHI
The Nun Within: Reflections on our self-care workshops with activists
A photograph of a woman sitting indoors. She has cropped white-grey hair and is looking upwards. She is wearing a black full-sleeved top and her palms are open outwards. She is wearing a black necklace and is smiling. In front of her, a person is half-visible, clad in black, holding out their palms. There are red chairs on the side, and at the back, a person with black short hair, wearing a white top and mask, using a phone, is sitting.
The Nun Within: Reflections on our self-care workshops with activists

I know that the lives of many human rights defenders are under continuous threat, that sometimes it is impossible to sleep or to enjoy a moment of peace because of the harassment coming from the outside. What I address in this text is our internal disposition as activists, and the ideas that stop us from taking care of and holding ourselves together.
By Rosa Posa Guinea
July 19, 2021
The Nun Within: Reflections on our self-care workshops with activists
Burnout, Boundaries, and Better Self-Care
A photograph of a water body. The sky is tinged with pink-mauve-yellow and is reflecting yellow on the different shades of blue of the waves.
Burnout, Boundaries, and Better Self-Care

My self-care journey has only just begun and I have a long way to go. I do have bouts of self-doubt, anxiety, and panic, and I still go through periods of feeling overwhelmed. However, more than anything, I have learnt that self-care, for me, is a subversive act, and caring for myself gives me the strength to challenge the status quo and play my part in social justice movements.
By Devika
July 19, 2021
Burnout, Boundaries, and Better Self-Care
Who would we be if we weren’t trying to survive? A Conversation on the Survival Myth
A photograph of a bench on a rocky-slightly bushy terrain. The bench is facing the other direction, which stretches out into wilderness. The sky in tinged with purple, blue, yellow, and pink.
Who would we be if we weren’t trying to survive? A Conversation on the Survival Myth

What does it mean to hold space and extend compassion to ourselves and our  communities? Rachel Cargle reminds us to ask ourselves: who  would we be if we weren’t trying to survive? Similarly, what would care and vulnerability look like if we weren’t trying to survive? The anarchy of queerness constantly and necessarily resists the capitalist engineering of the Survival Myth: one that wants us to endure an isolated life instead of embracing it with the radically transformative joy of togetherness. Caring for yourself precedes, succeeds, and exists alongside caring for the collective.
By Rukmini and Soumya
July 19, 2021
Who would we be if we weren’t trying to survive? A Conversation on the Survival Myth
A Guide To Affordable Mental Health Care For The Queer Community
On a blue background, an illustration of a person sitting cross-legged, in lighter blue, with 6 arms outstretched over the other. From each arm emanates a light blue line and shapes. Different objects circle the person such as a yellow-orange open book, a black mobile phone, a yellow sun with rays, a glass of water in light blue, a pink pen, a pink cup, a sheet of white paper outlined in pink with the lettering YOU'RE ENOUGH, a black watch. On the top right, in capital yellow letters: PERSONAL TOOL KIT. On the bottom right, in roman black letters: Instructional guide / Health and hygiene / Personal diary / Visual reminders / Phone apps. Under it, in yellow roman font: (Find detailed instructions on the website)
A Guide To Affordable Mental Health Care For The Queer Community

In a country like India where both mental health and non-binary identities are topics that are neglected despite being essential parts of an individual’s identity, it can be quite challenging to navigate through issues regarding the same. Accessibility to affordable and quality mental health services is a serious difficulty that the queer Indian population faces.
By Curated Content
July 19, 2021
A Guide To Affordable Mental Health Care For The Queer Community
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