ROOH (Rising Over Obstacles and Healing)

This week on ROOH, Monica and I are turning the microphone on ourselves and getting super real about the stuff we usually just talk about with our guests. We're "walking the walk" on vulnerability and sharing our own private struggles—everything from the chaos of career changes to that constant feeling of needing to balance everything as modern women. We also dive into how social media messes with...

Hey ROOH fam! This week, Monica and I are dishing out some sweet, sweet career truth with the incredibly inspiring Simmy, owner of 12th Avenue Bakery. Simmy skipped the typical South Asian career path and went all in on French pastries—but with a delicious, Indian-spiced twist. We're talking cardamom, rose, and saffron everything! This is a totally candid, light-hearted chat about what happens whe...

Welcome back to ROOH! This week, Monica and I are tackling a huge, and often complicated, topic for South Asian women: life in a joint family household . We know it's tough. Living under one roof often means balancing immense love and tradition with a real lack of privacy, which can definitely lead to stress and cultural trauma. We're going to get pretty honest about the daily struggles—from manag...

Guess who's back?! After a long hiatus, Monica is officially back in the ROOH studio, and we're neighbors again! In this week's chat, we’re diving into what it was actually like moving out of the big city, where Monica disappeared to, and how we finally ended up back in the same place. It's a fun, honest banter session about change, new chapters, and giving ourselves permission to just go for it....

Let's get real about one of the most difficult topics to talk about in the South Asian community: divorce . The stigma surrounding separation can feel paralyzing, but silence doesn't serve anyone. On this episode, we're cutting through the shame and sitting down with Matrimonial and Family Law Attorney Ravi Cattry ! Ravi gives us a foundational, no-nonsense look at what it actually means to initia...

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode includes brief mention of suicidal thoughts. If you need help, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline immediately. Please listen with care. This is it: the powerful final chapter of Sandeep's journey! She's been through the absolute most—a devastating arranged marriage, being disowned by her parents, and a painful second divorce. In this episode,...

The monster is finally out of Sandeep's life, she is now left to give birth to a baby by herself, grapples with suicidal thoughts and has to pick up the pieces of her life. As soon as she starts to gain some independence and try to find her own happiness, she is basically kicked out of her home. A quick note for listeners: This episode discusses difficult topics, including a brief mention of suici...

[CW: Explicit discussion of physical abuse and marital rape] Hey, ROOH listeners. This is the intense second chapter of Sandeep’s journey. In Part 2: Arranged to a Monster, Sandeep shares the devastating truth about her marriage, detailing the relentless physical abuse and sexual violence she suffered. She walks us through those darkest, most isolated moments, showing us exactly what it took for h...

Get ready to pull up a chair for a deeply personal story. This week, we’re kicking off a huge multi-part series with our guest, Sandeep. She came to the U.S. when she was just a little kid, and from day one, the pressure was intense to stay totally true to her Indian roots, which meant living under a super strict household while trying to grow up American. For Sandeep, "no dating" wasn't a suggest...

Ever feel like your South Asian parents just couldn't say "I love you," or talk about what they were really feeling? You are definitely not alone! This week on ROOH, Sharin and I are sitting down to get honest about that emotional wall many of us grew up with. We’re discussing why that lack of openness is so common—maybe it’s connected to intergenerational trauma—and sharing exactly how we can fin...

This week on ROOH, Sharin and I are talking about the comments that sting. You know the ones—the ones that are supposedly "just a joke" or "meant well." We'll be tackling those seemingly harmless remarks that cut deep, especially when they're about your weight, your career, or your family. Join us as we unpack the hidden harm in these words and share our stories, reminding each other that it's oka...

This week on ROOH, we're talking about the lasting effects of a toxic marriage. Our guest shares her story of growing up with parents who stayed together for appearances, only to divorce and send her away at a young age. She opens up about how that experience shaped her, leading to anxiety, a habit of people-pleasing, and abandonment issues. But this isn't a sad story. It's about finding the stren...

Get ready to dig in to a seriously good conversation! In this week's episode of ROOH, we're sitting down with the incredible Meena Singh, a nutritionist who has been helping people for over twenty years. We're talking about how food, love, and the pressure to eat everything on your plate intersect in South Asian culture. Meena is sharing tips for a healthier, happier you, proving that nourishing y...

In this episode of ROOH, I sit down with my mother-in-law for a heartfelt conversation about happiness across the generations. We reflect on what brought her joy when she was growing up, and how the definition of happiness has changed over time. We also dive into the pressure to always want "more" in today's social media-driven world and what it truly means to find lasting contentment. Join us as...

Hey, ROOH family! This week, we're sharing a really tough but important conversation. We're joined by a guest who bravely shares her anonymous story about something that happened to her as a kid—being inappropriately touched by a trusted adult. This is a story that, sadly, so many of us can relate to. We talk about how hard it is to speak up in our culture, how to heal from that kind of betrayal,...

On this episode of ROOH, we're talking about a difficult but important topic: why we often stay silent when we've been wronged. Monica and I share personal stories about when we froze and stayed silent instead of confronting the perpetrator, and we'll explore the complex emotions behind that silence—from fear to societal pressure. We'll end the episode with a powerful message for a new generation:...

Ready for a glow-up? This week, we're diving into the world of skincare with Dr. Rimy Grewal, a fellow South Asian woman and medical aesthetics expert. From the turmeric masks our grandmas swore by to the latest clinical treatments, she's breaking down what works, what doesn't, and how to get that radiant skin you've always wanted. Get ready for an honest, no-filter chat about all things desi beau...

In this inspiring episode of ROOH, we sit down with an incredible guest who proves it's never too late to chase your dreams. For 30 years, she followed her family's wishes and worked in a "safe" career, all while dreaming of joining law enforcement. At the age of 48, she decided it was finally time to answer that call. She'll share her journey of taking the grueling exam, facing failure multiple t...

This episode of ROOH features a candid conversation with my sister-in-law, Ritu, who grew up in an all-girl South Asian family. We dive into what that was like, especially in a culture that often treasures sons. But here's the cool part: Ritu shares how her unique upbringing actually made her and her sisters super independent and helped them truly see their own value. It's all about changing the c...

In this candid and heartfelt episode of ROOH, Monica and Jyoti dive deep into the nuanced experience of growing up Indian-American/Canadian. From navigating cultural expectations and straddling two distinct worlds, to the often humorous and sometimes challenging journey of forging a unique identity, they share personal stories of how their dual heritage has profoundly shaped who they are today. Jo...

Ever felt like you're constantly being compared to a sibling? In this episode, Monica and I, both the oldest in our families, chat about how we ended up being more "by the book" while our younger siblings were off having adventures. We even have Monica's sister, Priya, join us to share what it was really like being the youngest and constantly measured against Monica. Our big takeaway? It's time to...

Hey everyone, thanks for tuning into ROOH! This week, Monica and I are getting really personal. We're opening up about something that deeply impacted both our lives: our fathers experiencing heart attacks. What's truly striking are the vastly different outcomes, and what we learned about symptoms that go way beyond the typical chest pain . Stick around, this is an important one for us South Asians...

Ever feel like there's a huge unspoken thing in our South Asian homes? We're diving deep into anxiety – that silent struggle many of us face but never really discuss. In this episode of ROOH, we're joined by Shahruma, a fantastic South Asian Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She'll break down what anxiety actually is, especially how it shows up in our community. More importantly, Shahruma shares rea...

In this heartfelt episode, Monica and I open up about our personal journeys through the often-unspoken realities of the fourth trimester. We're diving deep into our experiences after childbirth, sharing the joys and challenges of breastfeeding, from those initial struggles to finding our rhythm. We also candidly discuss navigating the emotional rollercoaster of the postpartum blues, offering a raw...

Courageous Kaur: Charting a Path with Understanding and Courage Join us as Sharin, a truly Courageous Kaur, shares her inspiring journey of making brave, unconventional choices that often defied traditional Desi norms. Discover how she navigated these decisions, not just with immense courage, but also with deep understanding, forging and maintaining a beautiful, strong relationship with her family...