She was born with two fingers on her right hand. She was loved, protected and celebrated — and somewhere along the way, that love became a cage she didn’t know she was in.
In this episode I sit down with my literal neighbour Meenal — the woman next to my door — for one of the most honest and liberating conversations on The Woman Next Door so far.
Meenal spent years seeking validation from the world around her — from relationships, from achievements, from anyone who would accept her as she was. A marriage that taught her everything about herself. A divorce that set her free. And two years of quiet, courageous self discovery that brought her home to who she always was.
In this episode we talk about:
Born Special — growing up with a visible difference and the overprotection that came with love.
Seeking Validation — how years of external approval shaped her relationships and her choices.
The Marriage — rushing in because someone accepted her, and what she learned from that.
The Divorce — not as an ending but as the beginning of everything.
Career & Identity — 14 years, 7 organisations, and never letting her special ability define her limits.
The Shift — from “I don’t have 3 fingers” to “I have 2 extra fingers.”
Baatcheet — building a community rooted in connection and self acceptance.
Meenal’s closing words say it all — “I’m a very simple, loving, generous person who thrives on connection.”
She always was. She just needed to find her way back to herself.
What didn’t break her, built her.