Archive · 20 Jun 2025
Bathroom as Sanctuary: Exploring Love, Identity, and Faith
Imagine someone who feels different, like they don't quite fit in.
They find a special place, like a bathroom, where they can be themselves and think about big questions, like love and what happens after we die.
They write down their thoughts, sometimes feeling like they're a character called 'Shaitan', who is seen as evil.
They wonder about why things are the way they are, like why bad things happen, and if love can be found in unexpected places.
It's like they're trying to figure out their place in the world, especially when it comes to love and who they are.
The article explores themes of identity, love, and faith through a personal narrative centered around the author's experiences.
The author reflects on their intimate experiences, contrasting them with societal expectations and religious beliefs, particularly concerning the concept of 'Shaitan'.
The bathroom serves as a symbolic space of refuge and self-discovery for the author.
The author contemplates the nature of love, grief, and the human experience, interweaving personal relationships with broader philosophical questions.
The narrative delves into the intersection of queer identity, religious doubt, and the search for self-acceptance and understanding.
- Who
- The article is written in the first person by Begum Taara Shakar.
- What
- An excerpt from 'Even Shaitan Showers' by Begum Taara Shakar, explores themes of identity, love, and faith.
- When
- The narrative reflects on past experiences and present reflections, without a specific timeframe.
- Where
- The story is set in South Asia, with specific reference to personal spaces like bathrooms and bedrooms.
- Why
- The piece explores themes of self-discovery, love, grief, and the struggle for acceptance and understanding of queer identity.
Religious and Societal Expectations
Personal Experience and Expression
Bathroom as 'Devil's Abode'
Religious and Societal Expectations
Traditional religious views often view bathrooms as unclean and associate them with negativity.
Personal Experience and Expression
The author reclaims the bathroom as a space of refuge and self-discovery, challenging those expectations.
Norms of Love and Relationships
Religious and Societal Expectations
Societal norms and expectations around love and relationships.
Personal Experience and Expression
The author challenges these norms by exploring non-traditional forms of love and relationships.
- Author
- Begum Taara Shakar
- Source
- 'Even Shaitan Showers'
- Collection
- On The Brink Of Belief: Queer Writing From South Asia
- Themes
- Identity, love, faith, queer experience