Jessel Taank is back for another season of The Real Housewives of New York City! As the franchise’s first Indian housewife, it was important for Taank to return to the series after the pause between Seasons 15 &16. “To have the chance to show my culture and my life felt very exciting to me,” said Taank. Happily married to budding food influencer Pavit Randhawa and mother to twin boys, Kai and Rio, Taank manages to juggle her family, filming, and friendship while working on various passion projects like Ooshk, a platform dedicated to celebrating Indian & Middle Eastern fashion.

In the Season 16 premiere, viewers saw Sai De Silva acknowledge her attacks on Taank and her marriage in the past and apologize for her actions. While it may seem like Taank forgave De Silva too quickly, Taank assured viewers that the two have been mending their friendship for a while. “We’ve been building trust over the course of the past couple of years,” said Taank. “She didn’t have to take accountability for the past, but she did. That meant a lot to me.”

While De Silva and Taank’s bond is strong, Taank’s relationship with Erin Lichy is still on shaky ground. Even though the two have made amends, Taank is still a bit shocked that Lichy took the time to badmouth her at the Bluestone Manor event during Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th. Taank still maintains that she’s “glad” RHODuabi alum Chanel Ayan shared with her what Lichy had said behind her back. “I really respected the fact that Chanel took it upon herself to give me a little heads-up,” said Taank. “Quite frankly, it changed my entire perception of Erin and our relationship.

Taank stopped by the Decider studio to talk about the new season, express her “regret” for pressing Carole Radziwill about her late friend, Carolyn Bessette, and more.

DECIDER: What made you want to continue with RHONY after the reboot’s first iteration ended?

JESSEL TAANK: What excited me most about the reboot was the fact that the city is always changing. It’s so fast-paced. There are so many different people from different walks of life that a refresh of the series just made sense. I wanted to be part of it because it meant that I would be the first Indian on a Real Housewives franchise ever. That accomplishment was obviously a huge honor. Indians are typically quite private, so to have the chance to show my culture and my life felt very exciting to me.

I love that you and Sai made up in the Season 16 premiere. How did it make you feel to hear her take accountability for her behavior in the past?

Sai admitted that she saw parallels between her behavior in the past and what was happening in her life. I know that she didn’t ever intend to project a false perception of her life at the time. However, she’s being really transparent and honest about everything now. I really respect that.

I was always baffled by her attacks on you and your marriage, but it all made sense after she explained herself. Was it hard for you to trust Sai again?

It’s been 4 years since we started this journey with Season 14. Sai and I have really worked on our friendship. I know our friendship feels like it happened really fast to viewers, but we’ve been building trust over the course of the past couple of years. She didn’t have to take accountability for the past, but she did. That meant a lot to me.

Pavit is one of my favorite House Husbands, so it’s been interesting to watch him in this transitional phase of his career. What are your thoughts on him as a budding food influencer?

I’ve always been very supportive of him and his endeavors. I believe that everyone should feel professionally fulfilled and go after their dreams. That’s what he wants to do. He’s still working on a strategy and a plan, so I’m always on him about consistency and focus. He’s so brilliant and passionate about food content creation.

The Real Housewives of Dubai might be on pause, but Chanel Ayan is still mixing it up with the Housewives. Were you glad she shared with us what Erin had said about you? Or do you wish she kept it to herself?

I’m glad she shared what Erin had said. I honestly walked away from that event completely naive about what was happening. If someone is nice to me to my face, I tend to believe them. I was like, “Oh, I’ve got nothing to worry about.” But clearly, I did. I really respected the fact that Chanel took it upon herself to give me a little heads-up. Quite frankly, it changed my entire perception of Erin and our relationship.

Now, things got a little sticky at your Chinese New Year party with Erin Lichy after your memorable speech. Were you surprised Erin chose to confront you at your own event?

No. We didn’t really interact much that night. It wasn’t my intention to put her on the spot, but it kind of just naturally flowed. I was planning to address her past behavior with her at some point, maybe not that evening. Obviously, it wasn’t the time and place, but I’m glad that we had the exchange. Obviously, it was a little heated in the moment, but I’m glad that I was able to express how I felt.

Does any part of you regret kicking her out?

No, absolutely not. I wanted to throw the event because I wanted to celebrate change and go into the year with good vibes. The energy Erin brought to my party was the exact opposite of what I intended. So, yeah, I don’t regret it, but I don’t think I’d do it again. It’s not in my character.

Carole Radizwill is back on RHONY for Season 16! Were you a fan? What were your initial thoughts when you learned she’d be returning?

I say this a lot, but I think Carole makes the most sense out of any of the former RHONY girls. When we’re out and about in New York City, Carole is the one I see the most. She’s a social butterfly. We see her at all the events, both fashion and not fashion. She gels really nicely with the cast, and honestly, she’s really cool. I really enjoyed getting to know her.

I didn’t realize you were so curious about the late Carolyn Bessette after watching Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Do you wish you had held back on some of your questions about her to Carole?

I wish I had known how Carole was feeling about Love Story in general. I didn’t realize that the show had hit such a nerve for her. Obviously, we learn as the season goes along that it really had been a very hard time for her. I do regret prodding her, but there wasn’t any malicious intent; it was just curiosity.

I think most viewers knew you didn’t mean any harm.

If I had known what she was feeling about Carolyn and the show, I would never have even broached the subject.

One thing I love about you is that you are always busy! You’re working on a new luxury e-commerce retail platform specializing in Indian & Middle Eastern fashion. What can you tell us about Ooshk?

We launched it about a year ago, but we’re going through some iterations and some changes. I’m actually relaunching it with the CFDA [Council of Fashion Designers of America], which is really great. Ooshk is about introducing globally renowned designers who are not as well-known in the U.S. I’m tapping into a lot of emerging talent and creatives who are more under the radar here. I’m putting my PR hat on and giving them the exposure and attention that they deserve. It’s a fun project and one I’m really excited about.

We’re just at the beginning of RHONY Season 16! What can you tease about what’s to come?

I have heard from production that Episode 1 was the softest episode. So, if your interest is peaked by Episode 1, I encourage you to keep watching because it only gets better.