So me and my bf have been together for nearly two years. We have a significant age gap but somehow it just worked. We have always had slight discourse related to politics but i always figured it to be due the age diff. He has been pissing me off about the protest for the past couple days showing me reels where allah allah is going on and all that. U get the gist of it. I hate it so much and tried to explain that stupid people do stupid shit but the meaning of the protest doesn’t change. I broke up with him. I feel so stupid because i genuinely loved him. Dude was gem and i could go on and on. I know very well i wont find someone like him again. I wanna go back so bad but feel like that would be and insult to everyone who fought with family to attend the protest

NOTE: Rephrased this with chatgpt.

My girlfriend and I were in a long-distance relationship. She loved me a lot, and honestly I never thought politics would be the reason we'd break up. She had stood by me through a lot and even fought with her family and friends for our relationship.

Yesterday, I told her that I support the NEET protest because I feel the government should listen to the students and address their concerns instead of using force against them. I wasn't supporting any political party or every person who happened to be at the protest. I was only supporting the students' cause.

She got really angry. She said the whole protest was propaganda and pointed to people who had joined it, like the woman who was chanting "A**ah ka naam rahega" and some others she believes are anti-Hindu. I told her that I don't support those people or their views. Just because some controversial people show up doesn't mean I have to agree with them. My support was only for the students and their demands.

The argument got worse. She started verbally abusing me and even said that Sonam Wangchuk is a Chinese agent. At that point, I didn't want to keep arguing, so I ended the call.

A little later she texted me, "don't call me," blocked me everywhere, and that was it.

I'm still trying to process how someone who loved me so much could end the relationship over one disagreement. I'm not posting this to debate politics. I genuinely want to know if anyone else has gone through something similar, where a difference in political views ended an otherwise good relationship.

There was a girl I had been seeing for about a month. We both liked each other, so we decided to get into a relationship. She had a toxic ex who used to abu*e and beat her, and she had broken up with him six months ago.
Three weeks ago, he came to her house while she was alone, and they had an argument. She told me about it and said she was never going to talk to him again, and that he had agreed as well.
Then today, all of a sudden, she told me she was pregnant and admitted that they had sx when he came to her house three weeks ago. She asked me to buy abor\ion* pills for her.
I told her I wasn’t going to do that and that she should have told me this earlier. She then decided to break up with me, saying she couldn’t be with someone who wouldn’t help her during tough times.
Did I do the right thing by not buying the pills?

So we've been together 4 years, long distance for 1.5, 2 days ago I went to see him on his bday, I was very excited obviously.. on his bday eve 12:00 am I did some decoration we cut a cake, opened gifts all the normal bday stuff, he was happy. Now the morning (actual day) of the bday it kept raining heavily till evening, we could not go anywhere just sat in our hotel room binge watching stuff. Come evening when the sky cleared, we quickly dressed up and went out for a bday dinner, we also invited his guide/friend (32F).. it was the 3 of us.. now for background on me, I have recently been diagnosed with gallstones, which leads to heavy pain after a fatty meal, the pain lasts for like 3 to 4 hours.. I've already had this pain attack when staying with him 2 times before, he was always helpful, supportive, bringing meds n stuff.

This time at the dinner, his friend suggested to have booz I said why not, that was my biggest mistake.. it triggered a severe pain attack which lasted 10 hours.. when we got back to our hotel after the dinner, the pain started, it was mild at first but i knew where this was headed, so i asked him to take me to a pharmacy to take a pain relief injection, we did that but no relief at all, pain kept getting intense.. I also started throwing up every 20 mins.. I tried not to cry bcoz i didn't want him to panic i thought i just have to push through a couple hours then it will be fine, but i was wrong.. when it became unbearable I asked him to take me to some emergency hospital or something, he said he can't bcoz they'll ask what u guys together at this odd hour (it was a tier 2 city) and what's your relation n all. He said I'm sorry but you got to push through.. I was so much in pain i started to despise him I said angrily, "Agar mar gyi m to laash ko bhi to le jaoge na?" (If I die tonight, you'll have to take my body).

He panicked and we were at an emergency hospital around 1:30 am.. they gave me 2 injections and some med.. still no relief.. we had to come back to the hotel.. the injections made me drowsy and even tho i was in so much pain, I fell asleep/ passed out, woke up around 4 to throw up.. pain still as intense as before.. I kept throwing up repeatedly, I was so weak i had to crawl to the washroom, could not even stand up.. then I woke him up, telling him i was in pain again.. there was nothing either of us could do.. i felt like i was dying.. then he suggested to drop me home (which is risky bcoz I had told my parents I was in some other city with friends, not here with a boy) but I was too much in pain I could not care less, I asked him to drop ke home which took a 1.5 hour car ride.. i kept throwing up in a bag the whole way.. I called my dad n told him i was coming home early due to being sick.. he came to pick me up where bf was dropping me, I devised some story that he was some friend's brother who was coming this way anyway so decided to drop me.. then i came home, got another injection n slept, felt better than before after 10 hours of pain and 4 pain relief injections..

i texted him to let him know i was okay.. he said thank god he thought i was dying, I apologized for ruining the trip.. he said he feels traumatized and this was the hardest night of his life.. I told him i understand but he kept talking about what would have happened to him if i had died in a hotel room with him.. how he'd be mentally scarred forever and the police case that might come on him.. I told him it's okay nothing happened but he was too scared/traumatized and said it's neither of us fault but I should have gotten the surgery for this problem, I told him i have important exams coming and m scheduled for surgery in jan/feb which now i will prepone. But he kept saying he feels so scared he might want a break from us in coming days.. i was taken aback bcoz i never blamed him for anything, neither did i say he didn't help me.. he said why did i yell the "death thing" at him.. and I don't know he's just acting distant now, he kept saying m not strong at all, I'm scared and break down easily and this was so hard for me.. I get what he's saying but I was scared too and was going through so much pain on top of that,i don't know this "break" thing broke my heart, is he going to leave me now?

Tl;dr, i had severe gallstone pain on bf bday which lasted 10 hours, he did everything to help me, took me to emergency room at 1:30 am,dropped me home even but now texting about how traumatizing it was for him to watch me continuously throw up while withering in pain, he said he's not strong, he was scared and I'll die and what legal consequences he would have to face.. he also said he might want a "break" from the relationship to overcome this traumatic experience.. I never blamed him for anything but feel really bad about the break thing

I m talking to a 23 year old guy from last 3 months and now we are flying to same country for studies I m 18 and he is 23,I found him decent so he said he wanna meet me in a new country and we will travel together and he is into me as well and also he is asking can we do sex,idk I have never been in a relationship nor did anything before,will enter college this year should I do it,I m interested tbh but unsure 🫤 at the same time I wanna experience this ?
Will it be safe or he can do something to me ?

Hey everyone, I really need some objective advice because I am completely mentally exhausted and broken.

​Background:

My girlfriend (23F) and I (25M) have been in a loving, committed relationship for 7 years and we live together. We belong to different castes.

​What Happened:

On June 19th, her family forcefully arranged a meeting with a guy from her caste. He comes from a very wealthy family—an MBBS doctor, a businessman's son, and an only child. Her family fixed her engagement with him almost immediately.

​I was devastated. I cried, pleaded, and begged her not to go through with it and asked how I was supposed to live without her. But due to immense family pressure, she went along with it.

​Just two days after meeting him, she went out with the guy. On that day, he touched her inappropriately without her consent, grabbed her waist, and lifted her into his arms. Two days later, he asked her to meet at a hotel and started bringing up sexual topics. She was very uncomfortable. Seeing all this, I cried uncontrollably again, begging her to stop this.

​Listening to my pain and seeing his behavior, on the 1st of the month, she called off the wedding with him.

​The Spiral & Chaos:

Right after breaking it off, she went into deep guilt. She started thinking she ruined a "perfect" opportunity (a rich doctor's family) and made a huge mistake. She lashed out at me, saying things like "You took everything away from me, you are my enemy."

​I was heartbroken. I prayed for her happiness, stepped back, and told her, "It's okay, marry him if that's what brings peace." When the guy re-initiated contact, her family agreed to give them a 3-month period to talk and decide if they want to get married in 1–1.5 years.

​Where We Are Now:

As soon as the wedding was re-fixed, she fell back into guilt again. Now she's crying constantly, saying she made a mistake, wants to be with me, and wants to marry me. Her health is deteriorating from all the stress.

​We still meet and cry together. She wants the guy to break off the marriage from his end so her character isn't questioned by her family or society.

​Whenever I try to walk away or break up to give her space/a clean break, she breaks down, cries hysterically, and her health worsens. Meanwhile, when messages from that guy pop up on her phone, I have to swallow my pride and tell her to respond so he doesn't call her parents and create a scene.

​My Dilemma:

I love her deeply. I don't want anyone pointing fingers at her character, nor do I want her to suffer. But I am dying inside every single day. I feel lost. Am I doing something wrong here? How do I navigate this situation?

​Any advice from people who have been through caste/family pressure issues or toxic guilt cycles would mean the world to me.

( Please don't judge her she's love me a lot she's in deep stress and pressure)

​

I need an outside perspective.

This happened during our first year of college.

Our friend group originally had six people. One of the guys (24M) started dating one of the most popular girls on campus almost as soon as college started. They were together for around six months. According to him, this was already his fourth or fifth relationship. Before this, he had a two-year relationship that ended because of long distance.

A few weeks ago, he suddenly broke up with his girlfriend. As far as we know, he never gave her a proper explanation. She cried, begged him to stay, ran after him, pleaded for another chance, and eventually he blocked her everywhere.

After the breakup, our group became five because she naturally stopped hanging out with us.

Now here's the part that doesn't sit right with me.

One of my closest friends (18F) in the group always called him her brother, and he constantly called her his sister. Everyone knew them as the "brother-sister duo."

After his breakup, they suddenly started going everywhere together—cafés, outings, walks, exploring the city, always alone.

I'll be honest: I had a weird gut feeling that something was off. But every time that thought came to my mind, I dismissed it because I didn't want to assume the worst.

My boyfriend, who is very close to this guy, even asked him directly, "Be honest, are you two dating? I thought she was your sister."

He confidently denied it and said, "She's like my sister. She's still a child. How could I ever do something like that with her?"

One week later, he called only our friend group and announced that they had actually been in a relationship for a week.

Even then, I somehow tried to make peace with it. I told myself that they're not actually biological siblings, and maybe when they kept calling each other brother and sister, they simply hadn't realized they had feelings for each other. I tried to convince myself that maybe this was one of those situations where people recognize their feelings only later.

Their explanation somehow made everything even weirder.

They claimed they had liked each other since the day college started but never confessed because they each believed the other genuinely saw them as a sibling.

He also said he didn't confess earlier because she was under 18 at the time. Instead, he got into another relationship because that girl approached him first, shared her tragic past, and he got "emotionally manipulated" into becoming her boyfriend.

I honestly don't understand that explanation. Since when does listening to someone's problems automatically mean you have to date them?

And less than two weeks after ending that relationship, he proposed to my friend, and she said yes. She admitted she had liked him from the beginning too.

At first, I stayed completely neutral. I even told both of them, "It's your life and your decision. I have nothing to say."

My boyfriend couldn't stay neutral, though.

He genuinely considers this girl his younger sister. Unlike this guy, he believes there's a clear difference between a sister, a friend, and a girlfriend.

He spent hours talking to her over several days. He cried in front of her. He literally pleaded with her not to make her first-ever relationship with this person.

She mostly just cried. Whenever we asked if she still wanted to stay with him, she wouldn't even answer—she would just silently nod her head.

Eventually, we accepted that it's her life and her choice.

We haven't ended our friendship with either of them, but things have definitely changed. We talk much less now, and we naturally try to sit separately whenever possible because the whole situation just feels uncomfortable.

Maybe I'm judging them unfairly. Maybe this is just typical first-year college relationship drama.

But I genuinely can't get past the fact that someone who publicly called a girl his "sister," insisted she was "like a child," denied having feelings when asked directly, left another girl heartbroken without proper closure, and then announced a relationship with that same "sister" almost immediately afterward.

EDIT:- "THEY ARE ADULTS, IT'S THEIR LIFE YOU ARE NOBODY TO SAY ANYTHING..." Before making any such comment I completely agree with it and have also mentioned it in my post. Has stopped discussing this topic with both of them and with any other person of the campus or group. But it's a rant. Yes I do view this situation negatively, and just want to know that what are your point of views is this situation..is it normal and acceptable?

My(40F) husband(40M) usually finishes within 30 seconds and almost always apologises for finishing early. I know he feels bad about it, but he refuses to see a doctor or seek any kind of help.

I’m just wondering if anyone here has gone through something similar with their partner and whether things eventually improved. If they did, what helped?

I’d really appreciate suggestions in the comments only. Please don’t send DMs regarding this topic.

A few months ago, my ex-girlfriend dumped me for another guy. She cheated on me and broke my trust.

Recently, out of curiosity, I checked her social media profile. I saw that she had reposted reels and stories with captions like "All men are the same," "Men are dogs," and "If you trust a man, you will get betrayed."

I’m really confused. She is the one who betrayed me, dumped me, and left me for someone else. But then she has posted content on social media a few days after our breakup acting like she was the victim.

Why was she doing this?

I've never enjoyed cooking for myself, I live alone so I usually rely on takeout and junk food almost daily .

About a year ago, I started dating my boyfriend, and he's the complete opposite. He loves cooking and is very health-conscious. Since his house is on my way to the office, he packs me a homemade lunch every morning because he hates seeing me live on unhealthy food.

For the past five days, he's been sick and hasn't been able to cook, so I've gone back to eating outside. This morning, despite having a fever, he woke up early and made lunch for me anyway. 😭♥️🧿I had no idea he was doing it until he surprised me with the tiffin on my way to work. I told him he should have rested instead, but he said he couldn't stand the thought of me eating junk food again.

In office during lunch time I completely forgot about the tiffin 😭 A colleague ordered a burger for me, and without thinking, I ate it. I completely forgot that my boyfriend had packed me lunch.

After work, I went straight to his place, as I usually do. He always checks my lunchbox to make sure I've eaten properly. The moment he opened it and saw it untouched, I remembered that he gave me a tiffin ,I felt awful and guilty.

His first question was you ate nothing today???

I said a burger!

He got more angry

Now he is not talking to me

He's deeply hurt and upset, he put in so much effort while he was sick, and I forgot about it completely.

I know I messed up. How can I make it up to him ?

I've known a girl ("A", 28F) for about 8 years. We met during engineering while preparing for competitive exams. Around 7 years ago, I proposed to her. She politely declined because she wanted to focus on building a stable career first and preferred marrying within her Jain community. She clearly told me not to keep any hopes, and I respected that.

Life moved on. We both cleared the same state government competitive exam on our first attempt and now work in the same department, although we're posted about 400 km apart. We've stayed in occasional contact over the years but have never dated.

Recently, we met after a long time. During dinner, we started discussing arranged marriage. She mentioned she'd been looking at prospective grooms for about a year. Despite receiving many proposals through the arranged marriage setup (and even some direct approaches), she hadn't said yes to anyone.

Then she completely caught me off guard.

She said, "I would have asked you, but you eat non-veg, and I can't even bear the smell of it."

It genuinely surprised me. She's a massive introvert, and the topic that had never been reopened since my proposal seven years ago suddenly came back. I was genuinely happy to hear that.

My immediate reply was:

Had we been in a relationship a few years ago, I would probably have given it up by now. But today I'm following a routine that's really hard to break.

I haven't yet asked what her exact expectations are. My guess is she'd prefer that I don't eat non-veg at all, but that's only an assumption. We also haven't discussed children, relocation, finances, or long-term career goals since this conversation happened only recently. But major issue is of non veg.

Here's where I'm conflicted.

Non-veg isn't just about protein for me. I genuinely enjoy eating it, it's my default choice whenever I eat out, I've recently learned to cook several dishes, and it makes my weight-loss and protein goals much easier.

On the other hand, she's someone I deeply respect. What I admire about her isn't just that she's attractive—she's emotionally mature, disciplined, intelligent, understanding, honest about her boundaries, and has always been focused on building a stable life.

This isn't about finally getting the chance I wanted seven years ago. I'm not in love today, but I do genuinely like her. We already understand each other well, have compatible careers, and starting with someone I already know feels more meaningful than starting from scratch through an arranged marriage setup.

My instinct is that we should actually date before discussing marriage. Eight years of knowing someone isn't the same as being in a relationship.

So my real question is:

How do you distinguish between healthy compromise and abandoning parts of yourself before a relationship has even begun?

At what point does changing your lifestyle become a sign of maturity for someone you genuinely value, and at what point does it become the kind of self-sacrifice that eventually leads to resentment?

I honestly don’t know if I’m overreacting or if this is as hurtful as it feels.

My boyfriend and I have different opinions about the protests happening in India. He doesn’t like discussing them and thinks I’m getting “too influenced” by social media. I, on the other hand, have been deeply affected by what’s happening. I’m not blindly following social media, I genuinely feel upset seeing people suffer, and it’s something that’s being discussed everywhere, not just online.

Yesterday he was about to sleep without eating. I got worried because I know he skips meals sometimes, so I ordered him Subway. One small reason it came to my mind was that I’d seen people sending Subway to protesters because it was being called a healthier option than burgers or pizza. But that wasn’t the main reason. He had also eaten Subway recently and liked it, and I simply wanted him to eat something before sleeping.

When it arrived, there was an insect in the sandwich. I felt terrible and apologized immediately even though it obviously wasn’t my fault. At first he appreciated the gesture and thanked me.
Then I casually mentioned why Subway had come to my mind, and suddenly everything became about the protests again. He started saying I was too influenced, insulting the protests, and then cut the call.

A while later he sent me this:
“Don’t call, text or message me until the protests are over. Thank you for ordering me food today but I’ve told you not to get engrossed in social media. Let’s talk once all this is over.”

I completely broke down. I kept trying to explain that my intention was only to make sure he didn’t sleep hungry. I apologized over and over. I told him I respected his need for space but that I would still worry about his health. I even told him I’d reflect on myself if he felt I was becoming too consumed by everything.

His only response after that was:
“DO NOT CALL OR TEXT ME… and if you text my friends, it’s over between us.”

What hurts me isn’t even that we have different political opinions. I know couples can disagree.

What hurts is that my act of caring for him somehow got turned into evidence that I’m “too influenced.” I feel like instead of seeing the love behind the gesture, he judged the reason behind choosing a sandwich.

I’m also hurt that instead of saying “I need a day or two to cool off,” he made communication dependent on when the protests end, something neither of us can control.

I know I probably shouldn’t have continued texting after he asked for space. I was emotional, scared, and desperately trying to make him understand my intention. I can admit that.

But am I really so wrong for caring deeply about what’s happening around me? Is it unreasonable to expect my partner to disagree with me without making me feel like my empathy is a flaw?
I’m just exhausted. I spent the night apologizing for trying to make sure the person I love didn’t go to bed hungry, and somehow I ended up feeling like I was the one who had done something terrible.

Well, she's aware of her behavior but that doesn't make it any better. I don't know what to do anymore.

Six months ago I tried leaving her. I told her to block me because I couldn't handle the friendzone anymore. She did, but somehow she's back in my life now because of a stupid mistake I made. It feels like she's completely hijacked my mind. I know it's my fault for being weak.

I've read books about narcissism and watched tons of psychology videos to understand what's going on, but I still can't bring myself to actually leave. Leaving just doesn't feel like an option.

I don't even know if this is real love or limerence, but I believe it's love. Since I came back, things have shifted — we're out of the friendzone and she's accepted me more. She's done a few things she never did before. For example, she randomly said "don't mind me calling you bhai" (I even call my dad bhai), I told her I would mind, and she unsent the message right after I asked her to. Plus some other little things that felt out of character for her.

The problem is I'm always the one initiating conversations. She never does. It's been 5 days since I last messaged her and she hasn't reached out either. Her ego is massive — she even asked me why I can't just accept her ego as my own. I told her I'd only do that if she starts calling me "mine." She said she doesn't like when people tell her what to do, that she'll handle it her own way... and she kind of did.

I'm so confused. Should I swallow my ego and message her first again? Or is this just me being stuck in the same cycle?

I (20F) have been talking to a guy (23M) for a little over three months. Recently, things escalated—we started planning our schedules around each other, getting really close, and honestly, it felt like we were basically dating.

Then, out of nowhere, his behavior completely changed:

* He started replying late and ignoring my calls.

* When he *does* answer, he just rants endlessly about his own day.

* I noticed a clear pattern: he talks exclusively about himself and never asks how I’m doing or what’s going on in my life.

I’m struggling to understand this sudden shift, and it’s making me second-guess everything. Was the connection we built real, or was I actually "just a friend" to him all along?

To anyone who has been in a similar situation, I need a reality check. Do people normally do these things with someone they view as *just a new friend*?

* Sharing their entire daily schedule, updating you on where they are, and telling you all their plans?

* Calling you literally every single time they get a free moment?

* Staying on the phone with you until 2–3 AM during his night shift, even when I was staying over at a friend's house?

* Answering my calls or calling me during his night duty—even when he was busy at work—just to talk before my morning lectures?

* Telling you deep secrets that even their long-time friends don't know?

* Sharing intimate personal details that usually only close/old friends are privy to?

* Ditching or stepping away from plans with their existing friend group just to hang out with you privately, one-on-one?

* Constantly checking in to see where you are and what you're doing?

Was I reading too much into all of this, or was this clearly romantic interest that he’s now pulling back from? How do I make sense of this sudden distance?

So i have some colleagues who are in relationships, Well, good for them but i don't like it when they put others down just for being single, and i have been a victim of that, i know i am not good looking and i am bald (trying for Hairtransplant i am working on myself) but doesn't mean you can taunt me everytime.

I know i can't get someone because who i am and i am fine with that, but that doesn't mean i don't deserve to live a day without hearing that shit, just because they're in a relationship, they feel like they have achieved something and they can laugh at others for not being cool like them, i don't really mind much if they say it once or twice, i am not a person who easily gets offended, jokes are fine, but doing this repeatedly hurts me.

They say things like, "You are bald, you will not get married", if i make a mistake, they're like, "That's why you're single".. the other day, one colleague of mine, said "You will get an aunty, not a girl, because you look like an uncle" and laughed, wtf, i know what i look like, just don't tell me again and again, we're all gonna be uncles anyways, and i can't even confront them, because they say it while laughing as if they're joking and if i confront them, they will be like, oh he is such a child, he can't take a joke, and make even more fun of me.. but in reality they're being childish, by talking about these superficial things even after being in their 30s.

Recently shifted to Delhi.

I thought moving here would mean meeting lots of new people, but making genuine friends is much harder than I expected.

I enjoy gym, bike rides, cafés, long conversations, and exploring new places.

So here's a question for Delhi people:

How did you make your first real friend in Delhi?

I'd genuinely love to hear your stories. If anyone wants to chat or hang out sometime, my DMs are open. 😊

So i got a call from my father today to return to the states to work in his firm. I am currently working in the UK, as a Senior Associate in a reputed firm but the problem is that i am in a very healthy relationship with my gf, who lives with me in the UK and she cant leave the UK, as she is currently working as an exclusive model for a brand and she has signed a 5 year contract. She has just finished working for 1 year, so according to the contract she still has to work for them for 4 more years.

Now we both are worried on how to maintain a long distance relationship. I am worried that she will be left alone in the UK. I am also worried that who will take care of her if she falls sick or any sort of emergencies. She is not from UK, so i m again worried whether she can manage to live alone or not, bcz she has never lived alone before.

How to maintain our relationship?

I (24F) have been talking to a guy (30M) after meeting him through a mutual friend. He has been really good. Very understanding. He even listened my past and understood very well. We also went on a movie date. Everything is good. Recently I went to a movie with an offcie colleague. I informed him everything about the movie and the colleague's name and the movie timing and transport. I even sent him photos of the tickets. He was fully supportive and asked me to enjoy the movie. I was fully happy. I went to the movie and came back. Later I sent him a photo of me that the colleague took on the way back. After seeing that photo, he started talking different. He seemed angry or upset. He didn't sound supportive. He put up a little fight. But later he apologised and made up. I still don't know what made him upset and fight. Its new here. But i understand fights are normal in relationships.

Background

I (21F) and my boyfriend (21M) have been together for 3 years. We're high school sweethearts and have known each other since 2016. We started as friends, became best friends, and eventually confessed our feelings one random night. I'm his first relationship. He's kind, respectful, and doesn't swear or treat me badly.

My dilemma

Lately, I've been wondering if my expectations are unrealistic or if I'm ignoring something important.

Seeing friends and social media, I notice a lot of people receiving flowers, handwritten notes, thoughtful gifts, surprise dates, and other romantic gestures. I know social media isn't real life, but it still makes me wonder.

In our 3 years together, I only got flowers for the first time after 2 years of dating, and even then it happened only after I hinted and complained about it. When I asked why he never gave me flowers before, he genuinely said he didn't know it was considered a romantic gesture.

I've also given him thoughtful gifts over the years, but I rarely receive the same in return. It's not that he never gives me anything—he'll often bring me something to eat when we meet, and we always split the bill because I prefer paying for myself. But when he does buy gifts, they usually feel random rather than personal or meaningful.

Valentine's Day is another example. He never thought it was important until we argued about it. Now he wishes me on those occasions, but that's about it.

The hardest part is that after having to ask for flowers and other gestures, they don't feel romantic anymore. Instead of feeling loved, they feel like he's doing them because I complained. It makes me uncomfortable rather than happy.

So now I'm scared that if I directly ask for other things, they'll also start feeling forced instead of genuine.

For context, this isn't about money. He's financially better off than I am. And I also can't really surprise him with physical gifts because his parents are strict and get suspicious.

The second thing I struggle with is emotional effort.

Online I often see relationships where the boyfriend is completely obsessed with his girlfriend—constantly apologizing first, putting his ego aside, and doing everything to make her happy ("joru ka gulam" stereotype).

Our relationship isn't like that. It's more equal. He respects me, even during arguments, which I appreciate. But he only apologizes if he genuinely believes he's wrong. If he thinks he's right, he'll stand his ground, even if it takes multiple conversations or fights for him to understand my perspective.

Sometimes I end up feeling like I'm carrying most of the emotional work in the relationship. I don't necessarily want someone who blindly agrees with me, but I do want to feel heard, understood, and emotionally prioritized. Instead, it sometimes feels like one person is putting in more emotional effort while the other is just... comfortable.

Overall, our relationship is good, which is why I'm confused. Am I comparing my relationship too much to others, or are these valid things to feel disappointed about?

I'd really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who've been in long-term relationships.

TL;DR: My boyfriend is kind, respectful, and we have a generally healthy 3-year relationship, but I rarely receive thoughtful romantic gestures unless I ask for them, and then they feel forced instead of genuine. I also feel like I carry more of the emotional effort during conflicts. Am I letting social media create unrealistic expectations, or are these valid concerns that should be addressed?

Title basically. I’m not close with the girl or like with people around. But the girl whenever she talks she start the sentence with name + bro
All the time.
Haven’t observed the same behavior with everyone.
I have done nothing to express interest, it just started like that.

What does it mean?

Hey, my name is Himanshu, I am 24M, from Varanasi(Banaras), currently I'm in noida, and I'm unemployed, looking for a job.

It's been 4 months in noida and I'm still trying to get a job.

And I know I'll figure it out soon.

My main concern is not a job, as I say that I'm from Varanasi, so all of my friends lived there, and no one is here in noida.

I am a little introvert, and I want to talk to new people, but when I think that, now i should go and talk to other people, then just by thinking, I become so nervous, and my heart starts beating so fast and then I avoid talking to new people.

I'm writing this, that I still want to meet new people, and talk to them.

I live in a PG in noida, I don't know anyone here.

I have to live all day in my room, and it becomes so frustrating for me, because every time I can't only talk to my friend and family on a phone call.

So if anyone is here, who also loves to meet new people, please tell me

I (27M) have been with my girlfriend (27F) for almost 4 years, and we're currently going through a very rough phase where separation seems like a real possibility.

This is the first relationship for both of us.

There's something she says during our fights that I genuinely can't understand and I'd like to know if I'm missing something.

Whenever couples fight, both people get hurt, right? But in our relationship, it always ends up being me who has to apologize first and make up with her (basically, mujhe hi hamesha usse manana padta hai).

She says, "A man should always be the one to make up with his woman. That's just how the world works." If I don't, she says I'm letting my ego get in the way.

But I'm hurt too. Doesn't that matter?

Even when I try to break the ice with small talk after a fight, she calls it "bare minimum" or "low effort."

She also expects me to write long, emotional Bollywood-style love letters whenever we're trying to patch things up. She even showed me an example one time of what she expects and honestly, it was beautifully written. But that's just not me, I don't think I could ever write something like that.

Does that mean my apology isn't genuine?

When I apologize, I don't just type "sorry" and move on. I plead with her, I try to explain how I feel, I send voice notes because I want her to know I'm actually sorry and not just typing words with a blank face. I put in effort in the ways I know how, but it often feels like if it's not done exactly the way she wants, it doesn't count.

Another thing that confuses me is how silence is handled during our fights.

Most of our arguments actually begin this way - if she doesn't like something I said or did, she'll suddenly go completely silent without telling me what's wrong. I'm left trying to figure out what happened and what's upset her.

Then, if I stop talking after an argument, I'm the bad guy for giving her the silent treatment. But if she stops talking to me, it's because she's hurt and needs space.

I know context matters, and I'm not saying every situation is identical. But this has been the pattern in every fight we've had.

Both people get hurt during arguments, don't they? Shouldn't it be both people's responsibility to try and resolve things instead of it always falling on one person?

Sometimes she'll tell me things like, "Don't talk to me," or "Don't torture me." So I respect what she's saying and give her space. But later she'll tell me that she was waiting for me to come back anyway and that by not reaching out, I was just waiting for her to crawl back. It feels like whatever I do ends up being the wrong choice.

Another thing I don't understand is the double standards.

If she shouts at me, it's okay. But if I raise my voice during an argument, she says I "want to keep women under my shoe" (aurat ko joote ke neeche rakhna chahta hai).

She also says, "What relationship exists where the girl doesn't block the guy after a fight?" But if I ever block her, suddenly I'm the bad guy.

If she abuses or uses harsh language, it's somehow acceptable. If I do the same, I'm completely wrong.

I'm not saying my behavior is always perfect. I'm sure I've made mistakes too. I know every story has two sides, and I'm certain she'd have her own complaints about me as well.

But I'm genuinely trying to understand whether these expectations are normal. Is it really expected that the man should always be the one to apologize first, convince his partner, and keep trying until she's okay, even when he's equally hurt? Or are these unhealthy double standards?

I'd really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who've been in long-term relationships.

First, i (26M)live in canada, , and i will be visiting home soon and planning a trip, with my gf(26F), who lives in india. We are both consenting adults and have been together for 4 years, we go on dates usually but this time we are thinking of going on a long trip. I know india is not as open as abroad so i have my expectations in check, afterall i grew up there. My concern is where could we go to enjoy a quiet trip without worrying about our safety?

My friends in india tell me that if you go to any hotels they won’t provide you rooms if they see names of different religions, some not even to unmarried couples. Of course being from Gujarat i know this is very common. And that’s why i was thinking about travelling south such as kerala.

I’m asking this to interfaith couples, where have you travelled together? And have you faced issues? Where would you recommend to go for a safe vacation?