The name Aaja comes from `Aa` from Aastik and `J` from Justin.
Raji met Aastik when Raji was 18 months old (just kidding); they are siblings.
Justin and Raji met in 2008 after Raji moved to New York after college.
By the summer of 2009, Aastik, Justin, Raji, and Matt started living together. This is when Raji and Aastik`s relationship, which had started morphing into friendship, really landed into the realm of one. Since the beginning of their relationship, Raji and Aastik never really gave in to the patriarchal sibling trope—it just did not fit. Suneeta and Gopal never tried to influence their relationship; they did try, due to societal pressure, but deep down, they all valued friendships, as Raji would discover once they moved back to Nepal. And the discovery continues.
In 2019, Aaja was created. It was very difficult for Raji to imagine who would come to Aaja Cafe because it was hard for them to go into the space at all.
It was due to the narrative practices community reflecting back the hope, pain, and joy of the loss of Aastik and Justin in their life that helped Raji slowly ease into being in the space. The plants and trees around the space kept company during COVID when Raji, in order to not let the space become stagnant and break down, would go every other day to bake bread.
Slowly by 2022, the space found a rhythm and more cheerleaders that helped Raji, Suneeta, and Gopal see what the space was starting to mean for them.
And here you are today reading this. This moment has been possible because of you.
We exist because of the kindness of friendships grounded in queer praxis—always evolving, imperfect, and never concluding.
We are eternally grateful to Bushan for taking charge of the overall design of the cafe.
Cooking together, sharing food, slowing down, playing UNO, making art are some of the things we do here today.
How has Aaja Cafe felt for you? What word comes to your mind? How can we make it more welcoming for you? Leave us a note.
We are eternally grateful.
