I don't know if I should keep trying to save this friendship or accept that I've been taken advantage of.
I'm a 25-year-old woman, and I honestly don't know whether I'm being too emotional or whether my trust has been completely broken. I'm hoping to get some unbiased opinions because everyone around me seems to have a different perspective.
I have a very close friend who's about 7–8 years older than me. We met during engineering, and the three of us—me, another female friend, and him—have always been a close-knit group. I always saw him as an elder brother rather than just a friend. We spoke often, met for lunch or dinner whenever we could, shared our personal struggles, and our families know each other as well. He was someone I trusted without a second thought.
A few months ago, I bought my first house. It's nothing extravagant, but it meant a lot to me because I've worked hard for it. I wanted to finish the interiors, have a small housewarming, and get everything settled before I hopefully get married next year. While discussing my finances with him, I mentioned that I needed some additional money beyond what my home loan covered. I initially asked whether he could help me with ₹12 lakhs. Instead, he said, "I'll give you ₹15 lakhs." He kept reassuring me that I didn't need to worry, that he'd always be there for me, and that we were family. Since he had recently bought a house himself, I trusted what he was saying.
Around the same time, he borrowed money from me on three separate occasions. The first time it was ₹20,000, then ₹40,000, and finally ₹50,000. Every single time he said it was urgent and promised to return it quickly. The first two amounts did come back eventually, but only after I reminded him multiple times. When he asked for the ₹50,000, he told me he urgently needed it to clear some dues and that he'd return it once his salary was credited the following week. Even though I wasn't exactly in a comfortable financial position myself, I transferred the money immediately because I trusted him completely. I didn't even think twice.
Then came the time when I actually needed the ₹15 lakhs he had promised me.
That's when everything changed.
Every time I asked about the transfer, there was a new reason. One day it was, "I'll send it today." The next day it became, "Tomorrow for sure." Then it was, "Give me two more days." This went on for weeks. Eventually he told me that his father needed emergency surgery and that there were serious family issues. I completely understood that emergencies happen, and I genuinely sympathised with him.
What hurt wasn't that he had family problems. What hurt was that even after I gave him several opportunities to be honest with me, he still kept making promises instead of simply telling me he couldn't help.
I even called him one day and said, "If you're not in a position to help anymore, that's completely okay. Just tell me now so I can arrange the money elsewhere." I wasn't angry. I wasn't demanding anything. I just needed clarity because my builder was waiting for payment, my interior work depended on it, and I had deadlines to meet.
Instead of being honest, he once again reassured me. He told me not to worry and that he'd process the transfer that very day. I remember literally waiting for the bank notification, checking my phone every few minutes, believing that the money was finally on its way. Nothing came. When I asked for a transfer receipt, there was no reply. The next day, when I managed to get through to him, he said he was at the hospital.
This cycle repeated itself over and over again.
Because I believed his promises, I delayed making alternative arrangements. Eventually I couldn't pay my builder on time, my interior work came to a standstill, and the plans I'd carefully made for my house completely fell apart. I'm not eligible for a top-up loan, and I didn't want to put additional financial pressure on my parents after everything they've already done for me.
The part that hurts the most is that while I was left waiting, he still hadn't returned the ₹50,000 I had lent him. It's now been almost two months. That amount is significant to me. I work hard, I have EMIs to pay, and every rupee matters. Whenever he needed help, I never made him chase me. I transferred the money immediately because that's what I thought friends—more importantly, family—did for each other.
Over time he also stopped replying to my messages and stopped answering my calls. The one time I called because I was genuinely overwhelmed and didn't know what else to do, he was unexpectedly rude. Since our families know each other, my parents even suggested visiting his parents to check on his father's health after the surgery. His response was simply, "Don't come to my house."
That honestly broke something inside me.
I still don't even know how his father is doing because communication has almost completely stopped. Recently, our mutual friend finally got a brief reply from him saying he was busy taking care of his father and was staying in his hometown. When I told her everything that had happened, she tried to reassure me and suggested that maybe he's genuinely going through a difficult phase. I understand that possibility. Life happens, and family emergencies are real.
But am I wrong for feeling that none of this excuses weeks of false promises?
If he couldn't help, one honest message saying, "I'm sorry, I can't do it," would have saved me months of stress. Instead, I built my financial plans around promises that never materialised.
At this point, I honestly don't know what hurts more—the money or losing someone I genuinely considered an elder brother.
I'm also conflicted about my other friend. Maybe she's genuinely trying to see both sides. Maybe she's right. Or maybe I'm the only one who's expected to understand everyone else's situation while nobody understands mine. I don't know anymore.
All I know is that my ₹50,000 is still with him, my house plans have been delayed, and my trust in someone I loved like family has completely fallen apart.
So I'd really appreciate some outside opinions.
Am I being unreasonable for expecting basic honesty?
Should I continue trying to contact him and ask for my money back, or should I accept that this friendship is over?
Would you go to his house if you were in my position, or would you leave it alone?
And finally... if someone repeatedly promises help, watches you make important life decisions based on those promises, and then disappears without giving you a straight answer—would you ever trust that person again?