Mental Health Confessions

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 am a 39-year-old woman with two children — an 11-year-old daughter and a 6-month-old baby boy. My life has been full of ups and downs, and I often feel many of my struggles are the result of my own impulsive emotional decisions. Sometimes I feel I have spoiled my own life in ways I never imagined. My husband and I had a love marriage in 2012, though we knew each other since 2008. We came from middle-class families and, being middle children, carried responsibilities for both sides of the family. Financially, we supported many relatives — my husband’s siblings and my own family as well. I spent most of my salary helping others, taking loans for my siblings’ education and marriage, and supporting family needs. Today, I have almost no savings, no jewelry of my own, and most of my salary goes toward loans. Despite giving so much, I often felt emotionally neglected, unseen, and unappreciated — both in my in-laws’ family and my own. During family gatherings, I felt cornered and lonely. Deep inside, I craved love, attention, emotional connection, and respect. In 2019, my life changed when I became emotionally attached to a colleague. Over time, the attachment became very strong. I even told him I would divorce my husband so we could marry, but he refused because he feared social judgment and damaging his reputation. Despite trying to end the relationship several times, we could not separate emotionally. Eventually, he got married due to family and societal pressure. I was heartbroken and even tried to stop the marriage, but later accepted it. After only a few months, his marriage fell apart due to personal issues between them. During that time, he chose me and wanted a future together. I even moved into a rented flat away from my husband and family to gain clarity, but eventually returned because I could not stay away from my daughter. In April 2023, I confessed my affair to my husband. He was deeply hurt but never cruel to me. We started divorce proceedings and even attended our first court hearing in tears. Yet he told me to choose the life that would make me happy. Later, we paused the divorce and continued living together. My husband remained calm and supportive, but I failed to fully end contact with my boyfriend, who was still waiting for clarity about our future. In 2025, I found out I was pregnant with my boyfriend’s child. I was devastated and terrified. I discovered the pregnancy after 10 weeks and felt emotionally broken. I did not want to terminate the pregnancy, but I was equally afraid of society, my husband, and the consequences. My boyfriend wanted to keep the baby and emotionally supported me. Since I still had no clarity about marriage or my future, we decided he would raise the baby after birth. For nearly seven months, I hid my pregnancy while living with my in-laws. I dealt with sickness, emotional pain, fear, and loneliness completely alone. Even my mother did not know. Later, I moved away claiming work reasons and stayed with my boyfriend during the final months of pregnancy. I gave birth to a baby boy and cared for him for two months before returning. Leaving him behind was emotionally devastating, but I believed I was following what had already been decided. After returning home, I told my husband the truth again. He was heartbroken, yet once again asked me to choose the life that would truly make me happy. The problem is that I am not happy. When I am with my husband and daughter, I deeply miss my boyfriend and baby boy. When I am with my boyfriend and son, I feel guilt and miss my husband and daughter. My daughter chose to stay with her father, which completely broke me. I wanted both my children to grow up together with me, but life seems to have taken another path. My husband still hopes we can rebuild our marriage, while my boyfriend wants us to build a life together for the sake of our son and stability. I feel emotionally torn, confused, guilty, and unable to decide where I truly belong or what life would bring peace to everyone involved. Sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed by the consequences of my choices that I want to run away from everything. I am not looking for sympathy or criticism of anyone involved. I know mistakes were made, including by me. I am only trying to understand what the right path forward is — for myself, my daughter, my son, and everyone connected to this situation. I would truly appreciate respectful and honest thoughts.

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?

I want to share something deeply personal that has shaped the last few years of my life. I am originally from Bihar, India, and I lost my father in 2019. Losing him created a void that I still carry with me. After his death, I moved to London to pursue my Master’s in Engineering Management. I was far from home, dealing with family disputes, emotional struggles, and trying to build a future on my own. During that time, I met a priest at a temple in Southall. He knew about my father’s death and how much I missed having that support in my life. In the beginning, he made me feel safe and cared for. He would often tell me that he would look after me like a father and that I would never have to face life alone. As time passed, our connection became much deeper. We were together for almost two years. I trusted him completely. I believed his words, his promises, and the future I thought we were building together. Then, without warning, everything ended. The breakup shattered me. I found myself completely alone, trying to understand how someone who knew my deepest wounds could walk away so suddenly. During that period, I experienced some of the darkest moments of my life. I struggled with suicidal thoughts, and I also went through a pregnancy and an abortion alone. There were days when I genuinely did not know how I would survive emotionally. Yet somehow, I did. It has been three months now. I am healing. I am moving forward. I smile again, I work, I function, and I continue building my life. But healing is not the same as forgetting. I still miss him every day. I miss the conversations, the memories, the comfort, and the person I believed he was. What makes it harder is that he was not just someone I loved. He was someone I trusted spiritually and emotionally. The loss felt bigger than a relationship—it felt like losing faith, trust, and safety all at once. And after everything, there is one question that still stays with me: Why do some people enter the lives of those who are already carrying so much pain, make them feel safe, loved, and protected, and then leave as if none of it mattered? If someone knows your deepest wounds, your fears, your vulnerabilities, and still chooses to earn your trust, why is it so easy for them to break it? If you never intended to stay, why make someone feel that they had finally found a home? I am not sharing this for sympathy. I am sharing it because I know many people carry invisible pain behind their smiles. Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is speak honestly about our experiences. I am still searching for answers, still learning to trust again, and still healing. But despite everything I have been through, I am here. I am standing. I am moving forward. And I would genuinely like to ask: Has anyone else ever struggled to understand why people do this, and how did you find peace with the unanswered questions?

I need an outside perspective because I feel too emotionally involved to think clearly. I met someone a few months ago who became very important to me. From the beginning, I was hesitant. I have trust issues, and I’m 27 while he is 4 years younger than me. There is also a clear financial and social status difference between our families. I told him many times I was scared of getting attached, but he kept reassuring me, talking about trust, marriage, and a future together. Over time, we became very close. We talked every day, shared our routines, worries, slept on calls, and became part of each other’s daily lives. I slowly trusted him completely. Then suddenly everything changed. One day, without any argument, I woke up and found I had been blocked everywhere. Later I found out it was due to a misunderstanding about a joke I made, where he thought I saw him as a backup option which was never true. At that time, his family was also already pushing for his marriage, and he said his father cried and asked him to end things, so he agreed. We met in person. I swore on the Holy Book that I had been sincere from the start. He said he believed me and wasn’t thinking badly of me. He apologized repeatedly Even now, things are confusing because contact didn’t fully end. He is still messaging me. He says things like: “I know what is happening with you is wrong, but my family is not listening. They can’t see my happiness. I will never be able to be happy like this.” He talks about feeling helpless and stuck. And then, in between all of that, the normal care is still there… “Aap kaisi hain?”, “Khaana khaya?”, “Medicine li?”, updates about his day. There are still small reminders too like Snapchat streaks, and even a snap of my hair tie that he still wears, and the matching bracelets we both ordered. That’s why I’m so confused. It feels like I’m losing someone and still talking to them at the same time. I don’t know what this is anymore or where it is going. I only know I trusted someone deeply despite being scared, and this situation has been one of the most painful and confusing things I’ve experienced.

My father was suffering from terminal cancer and passed away just three days after my marriage. Due to financial difficulties, my inter-caste marriage was conducted through Arya Samaj. After marriage, I discovered that many promises made about my husband's job, family status, and financial condition were untrue. Soon after, I faced financial hardship, emotional neglect, and continuous domestic violence. Despite being a bright student, I had to put my education aside because of family circumstances. After the birth of my son, there were times when I did not even have money to buy milk for him. I started working to support my family and later enrolled in IGNOU for graduation, but my husband's lack of support and dishonesty affected my studies. I managed work, childcare, household responsibilities, and education largely on my own. The abuse in my marriage continued for years. I suffered severe physical violence, resulting in permanent hearing damage and the need for hearing aids in both ears. During this period, I secured a government job on my first attempt and continued supporting my son financially, including paying rent and school fees, while also completing my graduation and starting a master's degree. Over the years, I discovered that my husband was involved in multiple extramarital relationships. I endured humiliation, verbal abuse, threats, and even an attempt to physically harm me. Eventually, I filed for divorce. Even now, I have not sought alimony or maintenance from him, despite the difficulties I have faced. During one of the most difficult phases of my life, a senior colleague entered my life. He is a 38-year-old Muslim man working as an AEE in the R&B Department. For the past three years, he has supported me emotionally and financially without expecting anything in return. He has always respected my boundaries, never pressured me for marriage, and has remained a constant source of support for both me and my son. Today, I feel emotionally attached to him and believe he possesses the qualities of a caring life partner. However, I remain conflicted because of social expectations, religious differences, and concerns about how such a decision may affect my family and future. My divorce case is still ongoing, and while I have rebuilt my life through hard work and determination, I now find myself facing one of the most important decisions of my life: whether to move forward with this relationship or continue alone. I am seeking genuine advice on how to make a decision that is best for me, my son, and my future

I am a 28-year-old male in an arranged marriage setup. Our roka is done and engagement is scheduled soon. I am a virgin with no past relationships, romantic involvement, or physical experience. My fiancée is 25. A few months into our relationship, she started opening up about her past. Initially, she told me about one relationship where she had physical intimacy twice. Recently, after several difficult conversations, she disclosed more details: - A boyfriend in 10th class. According to her, everyone in school knew about them. She says they hugged but never kissed. - A boyfriend from her first office. According to her, everyone there knew about the relationship. She says they loved each other, but she ended it because he was very negative and discouraging. - A man she met through a friend of a friend, with whom she had physical intimacy twice. She later found out he was involved with another girl and ended things. - Another man she met through Instagram. According to her, she was ready to become physical with him, but left after realizing he was only using her to get over his ex. - An office senior who kissed her forehead multiple times. She says she never kissed him romantically and was never physical with him because she felt he was mainly interested in her body. She has also told me about a phase in her life where she drank heavily after being emotionally hurt and sometimes spent time with random groups of people at wine shops or on the roadside. She strongly insists that she was never physical with anyone during that phase. The issue is not that I discovered any cheating. In fact, she has been very loving and emotionally expressive with me. She wears a pendant with my name, talks about our future, reassures me frequently, says she feels safe with me, and recently cried when she thought I wanted to end the relationship. My struggle is that I am a virgin with no past, while her past is much more extensive than I expected. Learning all of this has affected me more than I thought it would. I constantly find myself thinking things like: - What if there is still more that I don't know? - What if some details were minimized? - What if there were more emotional or physical experiences than she disclosed? - Am I struggling because of her past, or because I keep searching for certainty? What confuses me is that she continues to be very affectionate and patient with me, even when I become distant or harsh because of my overthinking. She has even taken oaths that she is telling me the truth, but I still find myself doubting. I have started to realize that even when I get answers, my mind often moves on to the next doubt. That makes me wonder whether my real problem is her past or my inability to tolerate uncertainty. Has anyone here been in a similar situation where you were a virgin with no past, but your future spouse had multiple relationships and some physical history? - How did you deal with the constant thoughts and comparisons? - How did you rebuild trust when there wasn't actual cheating, but there was a lot of anxiety? - Did acceptance come with time, or was there something specific that helped? - How do you tell the difference between a genuine trust issue and your own overthinking? I would really appreciate honest advice from people who have gone through something similar.

Confession of a 35-Year-Old Man I am a 35-year-old man, married with a son. I was an average student and completed Civil Engineering from a very ordinary college. Soon after graduation, I lost a government job opportunity when the recruitment process was cancelled. Not wanting to depend on my father, I started working with a salary of just ₹10,000 per month. Over the years, I worked my way up from small companies to MNCs, often doing site work, night shifts, and even 24-hour duties. After marriage, my wife and I lived with my parents and contributed to household expenses. I later moved into an office role, which gave me time to prepare for competitive exams. Eventually, I secured a contractual government job. During the same period, my younger brother developed a serious gambling habit. My father repeatedly helped him financially, hoping he would improve. My wife often raised concerns about his behaviour, but nobody paid much attention. Then my father suddenly passed away. His death changed everything. As the elder son, I took responsibility for the family finances. I used settlement money to clear housing loans, car loans, and even my brother's education loan. After everything was settled, my mother was left with around ₹18 lakh in savings. A few months later, my brother got a government job on compassionate grounds. I was happy because my father had always worried about his future. About a year later, after years of preparation, I finally achieved my own dream and secured a permanent government job with nearly three times my previous salary. The only condition was relocating to another state. Around the same time, my brother wanted a grand wedding despite the girl's family being willing to have a simple Gurudwara marriage. He pressured my mother so much that she eventually spent nearly ₹10–12 lakh from her savings on the wedding. Unfortunately, marriage changed nothing. After the wedding, we discovered the extent of his debts. He had borrowed heavily, taken loans against my mother's pension, and eventually got suspended from his government job due to allegations of fraud and bribery. My mother received around ₹60,000 as family pension after my father's death. Over time, huge amounts of that money disappeared into gambling debts, loan repayments, wedding expenses, and financial crises created by my brother. In total, she spent around ₹25 lakh or more trying to save him. Whenever she stopped giving money, he would emotionally blackmail her. He claimed creditors would beat him, threatened self-harm, and created one crisis after another. Sometimes strangers would call saying he was lying injured somewhere. Other times he would claim to be hospitalized after accidents. My mother would panic and send money, only to later discover that many of these incidents were exaggerated or completely false. His marriage eventually collapsed. His wife left him. Jewellery was sold. My late father's car disappeared to settle debts. Even fixed deposits created by my father were broken and used. All this happened while I was living hundreds of kilometres away trying to manage my own family and job. The constant calls, emergencies, and emotional pressure became exhausting. Relatives eventually advised me to bring my mother to live with me because the environment had become unsafe. I brought her with me, hoping things would improve. But even after everything, my mother continued worrying about my brother and getting emotionally pulled into his problems. Every few weeks there would be another crisis, another phone call, another request for money, another story. Over time, I realized that every conversation about these issues affected my mental health. I would remain disturbed for days. It started affecting my peace, my marriage, and my relationship with my son. Today, I have reduced contact significantly. I still care for my mother and want her to be safe, but I can no longer keep carrying the emotional burden of decisions that are not mine. My question to the group is this: Am I wrong for creating distance from my mother for the sake of my own mental well-being? Every time I talk to her, I get dragged back into the same cycle of stress, guilt, and anxiety because my brother continues the same behaviour and my mother still struggles to stop enabling him. At what point does protecting your own peace stop being selfish and become necessary? I genuinely want honest opinions.

#26F I have been married for 2 years through matrimony. My husband works in the IT sector, and I am a homemaker. During the first year of our marriage, everything seemed good. I took care of the household, cooking, and my in-laws, and we shared what I believed was a loving and respectful relationship. However, after about a year, I started noticing changes in my husband's behavior. Since I usually sleep early due to household responsibilities, one night I woke up in the middle of the night and saw him chatting with someone on his phone. When he noticed me, he quickly turned the screen away. A few days later, I checked his phone and found a chat with another woman, but before I could read the conversation, he came into the room. The next day, when I checked again, all the chats had been deleted. I confronted him directly. He denied everything and said he was only scrolling through reels because he couldn't sleep. The argument became heated, and during the fight, he slapped me. That moment broke something inside me. I left and came to my mother's home, where I am now. I feel hurt, confused, and lost. I have suspicions but no proof, and that makes everything even harder. I am so desperate for answers that I have even thought about somehow getting access to his WhatsApp or Instagram accounts just to find out the truth. I know this may not be the right thing to do, but the uncertainty is affecting my peace of mind every day. I am not looking for revenge. I just want to know whether my doubts are real or whether I am overthinking everything. Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you deal with the lack of trust and unanswered questions? Please be kind in the comments. I am already carrying enough pain.

I need honest opinions because I'm too emotionally involved to think clearly. I met someone couple of months ago. He showed serious interest from the beginning, confessed his feelings before I did, talked about marriage, and even told his family about me. A few days ago, I finally told him "I love you." Before that, we spent the whole night talking on call. He kept saying things like he would fight for us, convince his family, wanted me to talk to my family soon, reminded me of my promise not to leave him, and said "I love you" many times. The next morning, everything seemed normal. He was sending me updates about his day, work, and even the Snapchat vlog he usually sends me. Around 4 PM, our conversation was still normal. I went to sleep for a while. When I woke up around 5 PM, I realized I had been blocked everywhere: WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, everything. Later, I contacted him through another number and asked to meet. We met in person. One issue was that he had found out about a joke conversation I had with a friend and felt like I saw him as a "backup plan." I explained that it was a joke taken out of context and that I had been sincere with him from the beginning. I even swore on the Holy Book that I had never treated him as a backup plan or played games with him. He told me he did not think I was a bad person and was not misunderstanding me. However, he then said that everything was over. His main reason was family pressure. He told me his father had been crying, holding his face, and asking him to end things. He said he told his father, "Okay, whatever you say, I will do." There are also differences between us. His family is much wealthier than mine, and he is 4 years younger than me. What is confusing me is that only hours before blocking me, he was talking about fighting for us, marriage, and our future, and don't even think about leaving me, I'll do something really bad if you ever leave me and then suddenly everything changed. Do you think this sounds like someone who genuinely loved me but chose family? Or does it sound like there was something else going on? Please be honest, but kind.

Admin please post it I am a 31-year-old male currently working in a government job. I was in a live-in relationship that lasted for around two years. In 2019, she ended the relationship, and it completely shattered me. Although I am married now, I feel like a part of me is still stuck in that chapter of my life. My marriage is an arranged marriage, and I have genuinely tried my best to invest myself emotionally in my wife. I bring her flowers, chocolates, and take care of her well. From the outside, everything may seem fine, but deep inside, I don’t feel the same emotions or intensity that I felt in my previous relationship. Back then, I was physically, emotionally and deeply in love. When the relationship ended, I went through depression. To recover, I joined a gym, lost around 20 kg, and worked hard on myself. Today, I am doing much better physically and mentally, but emotionally, I still feel stuck. It has been more than seven years since that breakup, yet I don’t feel that same spark, excitement, or emotional connection with my wife. When she says “I love you,” I don’t experience the same feelings that I once did. I have been trying to make things work and, in many ways, I feel like I have been forcing or faking emotions because I genuinely want this marriage to succeed. I have been married for more than three years now, but emotions and chemistry are not things I can control. I have tried my best, but I am getting exhausted pretending everything is okay. Sometimes I even think about divorcing my wife because I don’t want her to spend her life with someone who isn’t able to love her the way she deserves. If that ever happened, I would be willing to give her everything I have my savings, my property because none of this is her fault. At the same time, I don’t want to give up without trying everything possible. I don’t want to hurt her by telling her all of this, but I also don’t know how to keep carrying these feelings. People often say that time heals and that we eventually move on, but after seven years, I still feel emotionally stuck in the past. Has anyone experienced something similar? How did you overcome it? I genuinely need advice and guidance Thanks for reading it

I(28m earning ₹30LPA) am in the arrange marriage market for a few months now. All I wanted was to find some one who is equally educated, ambitious, had good skills, has good work experience etc., the proposals coming my way are a little surprising. Recently a dentist's proposal came, they demanded a reverse dowry(I never demanded anything, I am strictly against it). They said, I should be the one, to open a clinic for her i.e. buy her own clinic upon marriage. I asked her, where do you practice currently and she said she is not as she is not able to find some where to practice(if i remember correctly she graduated a while back)... Essentially jist was, she would rather sit home than take a low pay(unacceptable to her) job at some clinic where she might learn the trade in real world. Her parents know I make decent income. 2nd category is homely girls, they have gone to college, but thats it. Maybe did some bsc/msc/bcom types placeholder degree from their local college and sits at home waiting to be married, expects to be a home maker... Talked to one, I was really lost on what to talk, some how conversation turned towards iphones lol. Similarly educated, but has a lot of emotional baggage, 1 girl I met told me she just came out of a 6 years long relationship, from the things she said, she was still dealing with issues... Later I find out she has a lot of situationships as well... I avoid judging people, but I wanna avoid this kind of a person, who has a body count. My requirement is simple, similarly educated(masters or higher), is in good standing career wise, and is ambitious, her ultimate plan is to do stuff rather than sitting at home, not been in too many relationships or have baggage(I dont as well.)... Not drink/smoke as i dont as well. I try and look for signs of excellence. I wont mind marrying some one with hustle. Like I wont mind marrying a person who is well versed in trades like a chef who is running her successful hustle (or even is capable of, very hard to tell though). They may not have a reputed degree or a college... But they did something, Iykwim. Is this too much to ask?

I am a 34-year-old woman looking for some honest suggestions from people who may have experienced similar situations. My first marriage ended after I discovered serious incompatibilities, including severe alcohol dependency and the absence of a normal marital relationship. After that, I rebuilt my life and remarried, hoping for a fresh start. Unfortunately, my second marriage has also broken down. There are no children involved. Over time, I experienced emotional distance, manipulation, and mental abuse from my husband. I also felt unsupported and emotionally affected by the behavior and treatment I received from his family. I genuinely tried my best to make this marriage work. I made major personal sacrifices, including taking a transfer far away from my hometown and support system to be closer to him. I moved to a city where I did not even know the local language and had to adjust to an entirely new environment. Despite my efforts to support the relationship and build a life together, I did not receive the same level of commitment, support, or effort from his side. The relationship gradually became emotionally exhausting, leaving me feeling isolated, drained, and questioning myself. After two failed marriages, I am now at a crossroads and trying to understand how to move forward with my life. For those who have gone through separation, divorce, emotional abuse, or major life setbacks in their 30s • How did you rebuild your life and confidence? • How did you deal with feelings of failure, stigma, or loneliness? • Did changing cities or environments help? • What practical steps helped you heal and move forward? • What advice would you give someone starting over at this stage of life? I would sincerely appreciate genuine and constructive suggestions from people who have faced similar challenges.

I am a 29-year-old man settled abroad, and this is a story I have carried in my heart for years. There was a girl I liked for a very long time. We were only Facebook friends, and I never told her how I felt. Whenever she posted something, I felt an unexplainable connection with her. Maybe it sounds strange, but it was real to me. After being single for almost five years, I finally decided to take a chance. I messaged her and confessed my feelings. At first, she didn't take me seriously, but we continued talking. As time passed, she shared her painful past and the emotional scars she carried. Trust did not come easily to her. For almost a year, we spoke on and off. There were times when she pushed me away, doubted me, or treated me harshly because she couldn't believe someone could genuinely care for her. But I stayed because my feelings were honest. Eventually, I flew to India just to meet her. She initially refused, but after a lot of convincing, she agreed. When we met, I tried my best to show her through actions rather than words that my intentions were sincere. That meeting changed everything. For the first time, she truly believed me. She introduced me to her mother, who welcomed me warmly. Soon, both families became involved, and everything seemed to fall into place. Later, she moved abroad, and for six months, life felt beautiful. I genuinely believed I had found the person I would spend my life with. But sometimes love alone is not enough. Misunderstandings, lack of communication, and unresolved issues slowly created distance between us. Eventually, the relationship ended. It has been almost one and a half years since then, yet I still carry feelings for her. I even went back to India hoping to fix things, hoping for one more conversation, one more chance. But she chose not to meet me. I have tried to move on. I have tried to forget. But some people become such a significant part of your journey that no matter how much time passes, their memory stays with you. I don't know if she will ever read this. I don't know if our paths will ever cross again. All I know is that I loved her sincerely, gave my best, and even today, a part of my heart still remembers what we had. Maybe not every love story is meant to have a happy ending. Some are meant to teach us how deeply we are capable of loving.

I am 32 M, I have recently connected with a 29F CA through a dating app. We have ended up talking a lot over calls and are trying to know each other. The connection is quite strong, we both feel the conversation is effortless. No one is pretending, we are talking about lot of things. Having the time of life like college kids. Which we both thought never would happen at the later stage of life. We are both scared and both come with some baggage as usual. We are talking a lot and she’s from a town in Maharashtra, currently she’s in Chennai for a Job and she commutes once every 30 days to work from home and stay in work from office and I am settled in Mumbai with my business. We are both from same caste and have a lot of things to converse about. We have decided to meet in Chennai for a fee days to understand each other. I am hesitant to say ‘I Love you’ because it seems like something you say with meaning and I feel it’s too soon. Even though the connection is great and time doesn’t matter. But Because of past experiences, I am hesitant to express. However, She expressed love yesterday and feels sure, says she is also scared. But saying, we are past the I Like you stage and I was an in an awkward state and I feel to I have to say it back. Apart from this, everything has been great and wonderful. I just don’t know if this is too early, or am I overthinking. Also, she has a good package of 22LPA, I make a decent turnover but with current economy and business in Information and Technology field, I have to make sure expenses are in control in a city like Mumbai and all savings, portfolio of assets etc. need to be managed. She plans to make money through the current job, make a substantial amount in savings and stay at home or start a practice and start a family when time comes which I am absolutely fine with, as I was a single child with both parents working. So, I know how difficult it is. With my earnings and my parents savings and assets, we can sustain living a comfortable life. I am treating her earnings and savings as backup only. With this information. Life with luxury, I am not sure, ofcourse I want to earn with my business but that’s also comes with a risk. And I am ethical, so it makes more difficult to earn a lot of money. It will take 5 years to get a stable amount of 2-3 lakhs withdrawal from it every month. She’s not high maintenance, she’s very humble and has good savings as per her age and career. Ofcourse, with time we will be able to understand more about each other. But, a lot of things align between us and our understanding and expectations match a lot. Please share your thoughts and experiences. 🙏🏻 thank you

Confession / Advice Needed Please don't judge me—I'm genuinely looking for advice and to hear from people who may have been through something similar. I'm a 37-year-old woman, originally from Lahore, currently living in Spain and planning to move to Australia soon. I've been happily married since 2018. We don't have children yet, and overall I would describe my marriage as loving, stable, and full of friendship. My husband is kind, supportive, open-minded, and hardworking. He works full-time, usually six days a week, and often has to travel to different European countries for work, sometimes for a few days and sometimes for weeks at a time. I know 100% that he is travelling for work and there are no trust issues between us whatsoever. The reason I'm posting is because I've been struggling to understand my feelings. I think I may be bis***al. I've always been attracted to men, but over the years I've realised that I'm also attracted to women. Sometimes I find myself noticing and feeling attracted to both handsome men and beautiful women, and it's a feeling I can't easily explain. A few years ago, I became very close to a female colleague whom I've known through work for several years. What started as friendship turned into regular dinners, coffee catch-ups, social gatherings, weekend outings, and spending time together whenever my husband was travelling. Since I often found myself alone while he was away for work, I started attending more social events and gatherings to keep myself busy. Over time, my friendship with this woman became rom***ic, and we were involved emotionally and ph*****lly on a few occasions. There were also times when some of her fr***ds joined us for dinners, outings, and social activities, and I found myself enjoying that social circle and feeling comfortable exploring a side of myself that I had never fully understood before. The confusing part is that I still love my husband deeply. We have a good relationship, we travel together, enjoy each other's company, rarely argue, and have no issues in our physical relationship. We even openly comment on attractive people when we're out together, whether it's a beautiful woman or a handsome man. We have always had a very friendly and trusting marriage. However, I've never told him about my feelings towards women or about my involvement with my female friend. Part of me feels he deserves complete honesty, while another part of me is terrified of hurting him or changing the relationship we have built together. Has anyone discovered their sexuality later in life while being happily married? How did you approach the conversation with your partner? Should I tell him everything, and if so, how? What would you do in my situation? Genuine advice and experiences would be appreciated.

F27, I have been in a relationship with a person for the past five years. He is very understanding and supportive, but he has faced many family-related challenges in his life. Because of those issues, he could not complete his college education. He tried preparing for government jobs for some time, and later moved into a private job, working hard to settle his life and build a stable future. On my side, I am not from a financially wealthy family, but I have a stable job. We are now planning to move towards marriage. However, I am worried about whether his family will accept me. Although they are financially more stable than my family, they already have some grievances towards him because of past family issues. At the same time, many of his relatives are supportive of our relationship. I do not own a house, and I am still trying to improve my financial situation and build a better life. I often worry whether factors such as not owning a house or financial differences between our families could create problems when it comes to marriage. I also wonder how I will handle all these challenges. Since my parents are financially and physically weak, I may have to manage most of the marriage expenses on my own. Despite all these concerns, one thing gives me happiness and confidence: he is genuinely supportive and always prioritizes my well-being. He never judges me based on financial status or external circumstances. Still, I live with a constant fear about the future, family acceptance, and financial responsibilities. I am also planning to switch jobs for a better package so that I can improve my situation further. How can I overcome these fears and approach this phase of life with more confidence?

M, 24, works in Gurugram, hometown is Agra. This started in January. She is 27 years old, and this is her first relationship. For me, it was my fourth or fifth. We worked at the same company last year. I had a soft corner for her from that time, but I never expressed my feelings because I was afraid of rejection. In November, we both resigned from the company around the same time, although it wasn't planned together—we had made our decisions independently. After leaving, we started talking regularly about job opportunities and interviews. She got a job first because of her strong communication skills, while I got mine a little later. She joined her new company at the end of December, and I joined a different company at the end of January. During this period, we spoke every day. Things were progressing slowly. In early January, I finally expressed my feelings for her. She told me she wasn't 100% sure about a relationship and didn't want to make any commitments. Even so, we continued talking, and I held on to hope. Since my training was work-from-home, I was staying in my hometown. On February 8, I traveled to Delhi to meet her. I brought her a bouquet of roses and some plush toys. We spent time together, talked, and shared our first kiss. After that, she returned home, and I went back to my hometown. Unfortunately, the gifts raised suspicions within her family. Her grandmother noticed them and informed her uncle. She lives with her cousin and two sisters, while her mother lives in Imphal. She lost her father during childhood and was largely raised by her uncle. Her family called her and strongly advised her not to get involved with someone from a different community. Because of this pressure, she decided she didn't want to give me false hope. She stopped responding to my calls and started ignoring my messages. I sensed what she was trying to do and asked her directly whether she was creating distance so that I would eventually move on. She admitted that was what she was trying to do. Although it hurt, I understood her situation. I stayed patient and continued hoping things would improve. Gradually, she saw my efforts and eventually said yes to the relationship. Since this was her first relationship, expressing emotions and feelings wasn't easy for her, but she genuinely tried. We were happy together, and for the first time, it felt like the life I had imagined was becoming real. Like any couple, we had disagreements, but I always preferred resolving conflicts before going to sleep. On May 9, we had an argument. I told her that during conflicts she often became distant and avoided communication, whereas I preferred talking things through immediately. Looking back, I realize I misunderstood her way of expressing herself. While she was trying to communicate how she wanted to be loved, I focused more on explaining how I wanted to love her. My intentions were good—I genuinely wanted to give her a happy life—but I wasn't always listening the way she needed me to. We eventually resolved that argument after many calls and messages from my side. However, toward the end of May, we had another disagreement, and I repeated the same pattern. I kept trying to resolve things immediately, while she wanted space. On June 1, she wasn't ready to answer my calls or respond to my messages. I went outside her office and waited for her. When she saw me, she came over and spoke with me. I apologized repeatedly and asked her to resolve things with me. Eventually, she agreed, and I left. The next day, however, she again asked for time and space. Instead of respecting that request, I went to her office again because I wanted to see her. From her perspective, this made her feel that her words and boundaries didn't matter to me. Even though she had clearly asked for time, I showed up anyway. Since then, she has told me that she doesn't feel right emotionally and needs time. She doesn't know how long that time will be. I returned to my hometown. The moment I saw my family, I couldn't hold back my emotions. I cried for nearly two hours and told my elder sister everything. She tried to comfort me and help me understand the situation, but my heart is struggling to accept the possibility of losing her. What scares me the most is that she may take time and never come back. I feel like I could lose everything. I still love her deeply and would do anything to fix things, but right now I don't know what the right thing to do is.