ROOH (Rising Over Obstacles and Healing)

Some of our favorite childhood memories are of Diwali — a house full of guests and mithai in India for Jyoti, family traditions in Canada for Monica. Then life got busy, and Diwali got quiet. Nobody handed us a template for celebrating it here.

Now our kids are growing up with Diwali everywhere, and we're the ones asking: how do we actually do this? We talk about the pressure to make it perfect, how that work always seems to land on the women, and why memories matter more than the perfect photo.

We've all played “low maintenance” — especially around birthdays. We say we want “nothing,” then feel hurt when people take us at our word.

Through forgotten cakes, mismatched birthday meals, and the everyday work no one sees, Monica and I talk about why mothers minimize their own needs, how that teaches people to give us less, and why asking for what we want isn't selfish — it's necessary.

There is no medal for needing nothing!

Sandeep is back! Grab a cup of chai and hang out with us while we talk about stuff that is on our minds. For example...how sneaky is social media pressure? Why does everything feel so copy-pasted and neutral nowadays? Beige decor and homogenized beauty standards...we are easily losing our own flavor trying to fit in. Tune in for a very grounded discussion on dropping the pressure of perfection and bringing your own color back to a world that's trying to blur us all together.

In this episode, Monica and I discuss the Cornell 7 incident and why just raising "good kids" isn't enough anymore. We talk about how group dynamics override values, why institutions fall short, and how to start real, honest conversations at home about consent, peer pressure, and accountability. Let's face it... these conversations are tough, but they need to be had! Tune in to hear how Monica and I talked to our kids about it!

This week on ROOH, Monica and I talk through what it actually takes to protect your energy when life gets loud or negative. We share practical ways to set boundaries, break out of bad thought spirals, and use gratitude to shift your mindset when things feel heavy. Grab a cup of chai or coffee and join us for a grounded chat on keeping your peace intact!

This week on ROOH, Monica and I sit down to see how well we actually know each other through a fun Q&A. We talk about our quirks, first impressions, and random food aversions, and share what it takes to show up authentically with the people closest to you. Bottom line: Always be yourself, quirks and all! Grab a cup of coffee or cha (chai) and hang out with us!

Ever feel like a friend breakup hurt just as much as a romantic one—or maybe even more? In this episode, we open up about a platonic friendship that quietly faded out, the deep grief that came with it, and why we need to give ourselves permission to mourn lost friends. It's about accepting that silence and distance is the answer, learning to let go without drama, and making peace with the fact that some friendships are only meant for a season.

When was the last time you completely let loose and danced like nobody was watching? In this episode of ROOH, Monica and I are breaking down the cultural rules, the fear of judgment, and all those silly self-imposed limits that keep us from stepping into our full joy. We’re sharing our own journeys of unlearning the noise, giving ourselves permission to own the floor, and dancing straight to our heart’s content—and we’re taking you right along with us!

If you’ve ever laid awake at 2 AM wondering if you’re failing as a parent, you’re not alone. In this episode of ROOH, Monica and I get honest about parental guilt, middle-of-the-night anxiety, and the pressure to get everything right.

Together, we break down why trying to shield our kids from every mistake backfires, how to model real accountability, and why letting children experience discomfort is actually the secret to building resilience. So grab a cup of chai and get a dose of ROOH!

Ever notice how we're quick to broadcast our wins, but the second a health scare hits, everyone goes silent? In this episode of ROOH, Monica breaks down her recent surgery, her husband's health scare, and why the "we don't talk about that" culture in South Asian communities is doing us zero favors. From getting tangled in medical bureaucracy to learning why suffering in secret is wildly overrated, this conversation is an honest, warm nudge to share the hard stuff—because as the saying goes, shared joy is double joy, and shared sorrow is half a sorrow!