Confess, read, and linger a little longer.

M40 CTC- 14 LPA. I am working in IT india's largest IT firm(i hope you understood). I have a spent all my life in single company and now in position where no growth and strugglling to survive in personal and financial life due to low package and losses in stock market.Having 2 kids and struggling for their school fees also. Not have enough tech skill to switch. Just wondering how will be my future.sometimes I get bad thoughts.Suggest what should I do.

I am 34 male, I got married last September (9 months back) to our distant relative girl, she is 20. First 3 days went everything nice. Later things started changing. When I got to know she who loved someone for 4 years, had breakup, I didn't mind it much thinking it's a puppy love. Due to AI evolution & boom, I lost my Data analyst job which gave me 35k monthly, lost that job in October. She started questioning, keep on doubting & asking me about my past. She even said openly, I am just 20, had love for 4 years, you are 34, can't believe u not had any ex in past. Later job lose, her & her family real face started showing. She started insulting me not making money, doubting me even if I talk with my relatives or friends. The toxicity started growing day by day bigger. At last, one fine fight, she left to her mom house in December. Tried many reconciliation attempt, nothing worked out. Now last 6 months she is there only. She started going for a job, earning 20k monthly. I moved to Bangalore for job hunt, doing courses now. During those reconciliation (Village panchayats) we not talked but giving our complaints to elder only, so it's been 6 months we talked actually. I don't think it's not gonna work for long run. They kept quite because I don't have any movable or immovable properties on my name, job & bank balance. They even threatened to book false dowry, cruelty, DV cases against me 4 months back, but no movement front their side so far. They are clearly money minded, No child formed. Even her one relatives told us, they are planning to remarry her to some rich guy this time, meanwhile looking to lure any things from me. Marriage is a blessing for most, myself become dark. Help me what to do next?

29F. I recently got married to a guy who's partly bald and has a pot belly. I really liked his standard of living therefore gave in. As time passed,out of the blue my Ex texted me, I just got surprised and excited tbh. We met over a coffee and since then one thing led to another and ended up in bed. Since then it became a daily affair, one day my husband came home early and caught us in the act. He has filed for divorce. The good part is he has no proof of infidelity. Can I get his house, BMW and maybe a lakh per month as maintainence in alimony so that my ex and I can get married and live peacefully. Im not asking for much, it' bare minimum. Kindly help.

35F Few years ago, while I was still a doctoral student, during one of the international conference I connected with a top FAANG leader. I used to post about my research in Linkedin and he later reached out to me to work for him. Interview process was very detailed and they explained how I can add value to their team. I joined with a very good package. After joining I was pushed to a different project with a new team which I had no previous experience about, yet I delivered my best and made the project a success. So fastforward 3 years, I had a very complicated pregnancy, the FAANG leader who hired me helped me work completely from home during the later months. I worked till the last day before my delivery with the same diligence as before. I gave birth to a healthy baby but my health detoriated because of post c-section complications. It compelled me to resign the job as they were not allowing any more WFH for me. Just as I was going through the resignation, the same FAANG leader reached out to me to work for him for his startup. Since I had no offers at hand, and was desperately looking for jobs, I thought lets just give it a try. Note that the startup was just an idea for him at that time and I along with few others formalized that idea and built the working model. There was no paperwork, no salary, no legal binding yet. Just a NDA was signed. I kept on checking with him about registering the company and what would be the cap table for each of us, and that I would like to draw a salary, he kept on postponing saying everyone is making sacrifices. Mind you this FAANG leader actually never left his job, he moved to a better role after starting this side- project startup with us, when questioned, he says he will lead the GTM and his role allows him to meet influencial VCs and potential customers, but he becomes angry if any of us, talks about looking for a side-role to make our ends meet. So this kept on going, its over a year now, company registration has just started but no cap table, so legal document has been drafted or shared to us. He alone will become the director. No salary, but we are pushing ourselves to complete the full work. So after a year I told him that I am in a bad financial condition and need to have some kind of earning and he bashed out at me saying you should not be in these meetings if you donot want to work with us, and added all those legal jargons that I can sue you if you talk about our work to other companies, and I can blacklist you. He even said its because of me you got the job before, etc etc. I have mentioned about facing financial difficulties before too, he just stalls it everytime saying later you will get what you deserve. Now I am torn as to what to do. I do want to develop and work for this startup because the idea is very unique, but at the same time there are too many things which are not sitting right. No compensation, no legal binding, nothing. The team is working only because of his word and his worth in the tech world. I am scared of what to do now. We do have a friendly customer who has agreed for a POC, and if this goes right we ‘may’ have other partners too, but thats all in the future which has no guarantee. He doesnot want to introduce our startup to VCs now because he says they will come and micromanage us. He said he will bear the expenses for any infra and setup related costs. The other team mates all have their own fulltime jobs and working on this startup as parttime. But for me, he says he wants me fulltime else i may leave. I donot have any other offers at hand now, I am only starting to seach but its a tuff market situation now. He has promised on get me on the company payroll once the first POC is successful and get some money for the next POC which can be anytime between the next 3-12 months. He only asked me to wait patiently. I donot know what to do now? Should I just continue to work, without a payment and wait for him to include me in the payroll after the customer comes while I develop his entire system? Or quit it straight forward and begin seriously searching for a new job. Help. Suggestions on how these things work in startups generally.

28M here. I never thought I'd write something like this, but I guess some things become too heavy to carry alone. My story started when I was in 11th standard and she was in 8th. I got to know her through a friend. We studied in different schools and lived in different places, so our relationship grew through phone calls and text messages. Back then, we had a recharge plan that allowed only 75 messages a day. Somehow, we managed to use every one of them. We shared everything—our days, dreams, fears, and slowly became part of each other's lives. For a while, family issues forced us to lose contact. I thought that chapter had ended. Then she joined college, reached out again, and we picked up right where we left off. We eventually met for the first time when she was staying in a hostel. She had only two hours of outing permission, and we spent those two hours at a cake and ice cream shop. It may sound insignificant, but to me it felt like years of conversations had finally found a face. Time passed. I completed college, got placed in Chennai, and we grew closer. We travelled together, spent more time together, and I genuinely believed we were building a future. I trusted her completely. I came from a modest background and knew what it felt like to have dreams that seemed out of reach. Since I couldn't achieve some of the opportunities I wanted, I wanted her to have them instead. I supported her education, helped financially whenever I could, and genuinely wanted her to succeed. For years, I believed what we had was real. Then during her postgraduate studies, I found out she was involved with other guys. My world collapsed. The strange thing is that even after learning the truth, I still wanted her. I've always been a one-woman man. From the moment I loved her, I imagined spending my life with her. What hurt most was that while I was pleading with her not to leave, she was pleading with someone else to come back. I'm not saying this to portray her as a bad person. Life is rarely that simple. But that was my reality. Eventually, she told me she didn't want me anymore. That period broke me. I went through panic attacks, lost focus, and struggled to function normally. The days passed without her presence, but never without her memories. To survive, I focused on myself. I worked harder than ever. One of the proudest moments of my life was buying my first car. Growing up, there were times when even owning a bicycle felt impossible. By God's grace, life had changed. Ironically, around that time, she came back. She said she had made a mistake and wanted me in her life again. Logic told me not to go back. My heart didn't listen. So I gave us another chance. Years passed. What started as a school-time connection had now stretched across more than a decade. Whenever I asked whether she had lost interest, I always gave her the option to leave. Every time, she assured me she wanted me. Yet the same patterns continued. I eventually discovered she was cheating again. The pain wasn't just about what she did. It was realizing that even after knowing her best and worst sides, I still couldn't stop loving her. When I confronted her, she disappeared from my life once again. And now, here I am. Alone. I know I'll probably never see her again. Never hear her voice again. For years, we shared every detail of our lives. She wasn't just someone I loved—she became part of who I was. It's been more than a year, but I still don't want to forget her. I still find myself checking her profile more often than I should. Not because I expect a message. In fact, a part of me hopes she never comes back. Because if she did, I'd have to fight the same battle between my heart and my mind all over again. I don't think she was an evil person. In many ways, she was one of the most beautiful souls I knew. That's what makes everything so confusing. The person who gave me some of my happiest memories also gave me some of my deepest wounds. Despite everything, I genuinely want her to be happy. And if there is such a thing as another life, I hope we meet under different circumstances—without the confusion, the hurt, or the bad timing. Maybe then our story would have a different ending. Today, I have a decent life. My family is proud of me. They're looking for marriage alliances because they're worried I'll spend my life alone. If I'm being honest, that fear lives inside me too. I don't know whether I'm holding on to love, memories, or simply a future I imagined but never had. All I know is that after all these years, I'm still trying to find my way forward. Sorry for the long post. I used to skip lengthy confessions and wonder who had the patience to read them. Turns out everyone's story looks long until it's your turn to tell your own. If you've read this far, thank you. You've probably spent more time reading about my relationship than the person in it spent choosing me.

I have a friend who is 40M and working in IT and earns around 5L per month but he is not happy or satisfied with his life. He says it's not about money and doesn't own a car or house. He works for only 1 hour a day and doesn't even like that. He has some dark secrets and has been into Witchcraft and Sorcery since many years and is trying to cast some supernatural spells to eradicate all humans from this planet. He says his purpose of life is to make Earth free of humans. He has a son and says only he and his son should be alive and rest all should die. He wants his son to be the incarnation of his divine Master whom he worships. Worst thing is - he is not ready for counselling as he says he hates humans and they are below his superiority. His wife suffers in silence. He also drinks and behaves like a split personality and does pujas to please his Master who is neither God nor Satan he says. What should we do to help him? Any suggestions.

F28. I am facing a family issue and would really appreciate some genuine suggestions. I have been married for 2 years. My husband works in the IT sector, and I am a housewife. Since our marriage, I have taken responsibility for looking after his parents and managing all the household work. I have always tried my best to take care of the family and maintain a peaceful home. Over the last few months, I started noticing some changes in my husband's behavior. One night, I woke up to use the washroom and saw him chatting on his phone late at night. When he noticed me, he quickly locked his phone and turned away. A few days later, I happened to see some unknown contacts and a girl's profile picture on his WhatsApp. Before I could understand anything, he came into the room. The next day, those chats and contacts were no longer there. Eventually, I shared my concerns with him, but the conversation turned into a major argument. Things escalated badly, and he slapped me during the fight. After that incident, I came back to my parents' house. The hardest part is that I don't have any proof that he was doing anything wrong, but at the same time I can't ignore what I saw or how the situation unfolded. Out of desperation, I even contacted someone online who claimed they could help me access his phone, but it turned out to be a scam and I ended up losing ₹5,000. I feel hurt, confused, and unsure about what the right next step should be. I would sincerely appreciate hearing different perspectives. If you were in my position, what would you do? How would you handle this situation?

This is not a confession; I just want your opinion and suggestions. I worked for a company with around 300–400 employees. The CTO of the company behaved inappropriately toward me. Later, I came to know that there were already two r@pe cases against him during his time at the company. I chose not to file a complaint and eventually left the organization. However, whenever I sit alone and think about it, one question keeps coming to my mind: how can someone with such allegations continue to hold a senior leadership position like CTO, and why is the company not taking any action? My concern is not only about what happened to me, but also about the possibility that such behavior could affect other female employees in the future. I often wonder whether organizations should do more to ensure a safe workplace and hold people accountable, regardless of their position or authority.

I really don't know what to do, and I need some advice. First, an important detail: I'm not from India, although I am South Asian. He is Indian. He is currently in my country for work and will be leaving soon(probably after a few months) Leaving aside how our love story started, the main thing I want to talk about is our future. I am 20 years old and currently in my first year of MBBS, so I still have many years of study ahead of me. He is 25 years old. I cannot disclose his identity, but I can say that we love each other very much. The problem is that both of us know that our future together seems uncertain. Recently, his parents have been pressuring him to get married. Since his job often keeps him away from home, they want him to marry someone who can stay with them and take care of them as they grow older. He tells me that he does not want to get married right now, but he feels that he may have to give in to his parents' wishes. This is especially difficult for me because he is my first love. He has shown me genuine love and care from the very beginning, and I have never had any reason to doubt his feelings. I genuinely cannot imagine my life without him. At the same time, I cannot marry him right now even if I wanted to, because I need to focus on completing my medical studies first. So now I feel completely stuck. Should I let him go and try to move on, acting as if the past six months never happened? Or should I hold on to him because I truly believe what we have is real and meaningful? Should I tell him to go ahead and marry if that's what his situation requires? I honestly don't know what to do. Love is such a crazy thing. I would really appreciate any advice.

I am an officer in an Indian PSU from a lower middle-class General category family with two elder sisters and parents. Joining PSU was a major achievement. Academically bright, I was raised to deeply respect women, instilled with superhero-like morality, ethics, and honesty. Conditioned to believe women don't want s**x while men crave it, I idealized purity. I look decent but not tall/attractive, remain introverted, self-critical, and conscientious. Some life events shook me, making me question if life is worth living. Previously posted remotely, I transferred to a corporate location. A senior engaged girl (good-looking, officers' union position) joined my department. Her fiancé worked in her hometown. As a boy craving female attention but with low self-esteem, I never initiated. Boss directed her to me for work doubts, leading to conversations. She was extroverted. She invited me for lunch walks, movies, brought midnight birthday cake in the shared township hostel. This was my first serious female interaction. She shared sob stories about ill-treatment by parents/family, forced arranged marriage instead of love, toxic exes, calling me a "nice guy." She invited me to her room at midnight twice, once drunk saying she loved me. I maintained boundaries due to morality, her upcoming marriage, and low confidence—never crossed lines despite growing attachment and falling for her. After a 2-week work trip, she suddenly distanced herself, acting normal. I asked; she blamed me. We resumed friendly walks/talks. I later learned she had lived with another guy (transferred) and was close to another senior (Karan) from previous department. Suspicious, I saw Karan visiting her hostel at midnight. She pressured me to drink. I discovered she was s**xually involved with Karan even a week before her wedding (he attended). Shocked and traumatized by her happy wedding reels. Post-wedding, she continued the affair with Karan. I subtly confronted her emotional state, lies, and my role. She dismissed my vulnerabilities, maintained victim acts and multiple lies. Emotionally cold, no empathy. I confronted out of frustration; she turned hostile, blocked me everywhere, told me to "die," and acted like nothing happened. I turned to ChatGPT for therapy as I couldn't share with anyone (feared dismissal as "fool chasing married woman"). She enjoyed manipulation, cheating, and sadism. Karan enabled it (he's married now). This shattered my trust, caused deep trauma. As a woman in power (senior, union), confronting risks career. I feel inhumanly discarded after sharing vulnerabilities. Reflecting on narcissism, society, politicians—wonder why moral/emotional people like me suffer. Is this how high society functions?