Relationship problems? Let Love Guru help.
If you are facing relationship issues -- and if you are in a relationship, you're facing issues -- we have someone you can discuss them with freely.
Meet Rediff.com's Love Guru, who says, 'I've been told I give some pretty great advice. And some people think I'm funny, so if I can give you a laugh or two after your girlfriend stuck a fork in your face, why the hell not?'
So if you feel you want some personal advice, do write in to getahead@rediff.co.in (Subject: Ask Love Guru).
If you wish to remain anonymous, do let us know and your name won't be disclosed when publishing responses to your queries.
Hi Love Guru.
Please keep my identity as anonymous as possible.
I have few issues going on in my mind and want your suggestions.
First, to get out of block and unblock chain.
I met a girl who is my brother’s friend in 2017. We started chatting on FB, then exchanged numbers.
We had a rapport till six months. There was a unique attachment between us during that period. Not chatting with her for even one day would make me uneasy.
In October 2017, her engagement was fixed. I was normal, knowing that there cannot be much between us except being in contact.
One day, at the end of our talk, she said, "Love you." I laughed, saying “What nonsense that you always call me with different weird names. Now, after your engagement is fixed, you are telling me this.”
Then, she blocked me on WhatsApp and I really felt like I was in a cage. Then, after a few days, she unblocked me.
She got engaged but, after a few months, her engagement broke.
We then again got in good contact. After few months her marriage got fixed.
Now she is married. After her marriage, our contact was very, very less as priorities changed. I proceeded with my studies and job and she carried on with her personal and professional life.
Two months back, she called me and said I am bored and feeling irritated with life so I called you to freshen my mind. I was also happy talking to her.
I am that kind of introvert person who opens up with few and she was among them.
For one or two weeks, we used to talk 30 to 45 minutes daily.
Suddenly, she blocked me on WhatsApp. I called her and she behaved like a stranger to me -- like who’s this, I don’t know you, who you are and she ended the call and blocked me.
Till date, she has blocked me.
I think there are many things she is hiding from me -- from why her first engagement broke to marring another guy who is not of her caste when she is from a conservative family
Post her engagement, there were many times she blocked and unblocked me. She is running in my mind. I want to get rid of her. Please suggest how and what shall I talk to her so I get an end to this.
Thank you for bearing to read all this.
My second issue is I think I am addicted to pornography.
Two to three years back, I used to watch a lot of porn and would prefer MILF porn, ie senior pornstars videos.
I think, due to this, I don’t get much attracted to girls of my age. I respect them but I think, because of my addiction, I see females elder to me attractive rather than females of my age.
Please help. Suggest how I shall get out of this as this also affects me academically, personally and professionally.
Thank you,
Anon
Dear Anonymous,
I don’t think you really have any serious problems in your life at all; it’s your perceptions that are all wrong.
Let me straighten this out for you, one issue at a time.
First off, you have one weird, unpredictable friend who once told you she loved you and then went and married someone else.
Not once have you stated that you are in love with her or have feelings for her. In fact, when she said she loved you, you brushed it off.
She contacts you when she’s bored and cuts you off when she’s not.
And now, it’s come to the point where you really need to be the one blocking her and not the other way around...
You want to get rid of her? Block her once and for all. And if she still manages to get in touch, tell her politely that you have had enough of this one-sided friendship and not to contact you again.
Second, about what you think is a porn ‘addiction’... An addiction is something that interferes with your normal life, career and relationships. It’s an obsession that consumes you every waking hour.
And, from what you’ve said, I don’t think you’re watching such volumes of pornography every day, are you?
Furthermore, unless you’re into grannies, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being attracted to women older than you... everyone has a type!
If after everything I’ve said you still fancy you have problems, I’d suggest visiting a therapist. But before spending that kind of money, think long and hard about what I’ve said and decide for yourself whether you think you need it.
Dear Love Guru,
My wife and I are in an arranged marriage since around 15 years and there is nothing that we celebrate about our relationship, except kids which are the only reason for our existing relations.
I am working abroad and have visits for a month on vacation after every couple of months.
After marriage, I noticed my wife’s flirting behaviour with strange men (to seduce) during many occasions but initially ignored it.
However, I found it frustrating when I felt her to be habitual flirter. I then spoke to her, which was after around 2.5 years of our marriage, and she denied the matter.
Soon noticing such perpetual habits about her, we went on for non-talking terms some time and then a storm broke out in our house. My parents and her parents supported her, since I couldn’t prove any of her behaviour.
She has been lying since her behaviour was noticed and even after that, but my love for her and my child (at that time) made me feel that probably that I need to avoid any suspicious behaviour.
Such storm was repeated even recently few years earlier.
I had thought my idea of a second child would improve our relations, but it hasn’t helped.
I could still notice her flirting behaviour with strangers and even with known personnel including my relatives.
I even believe her to be in relationship with one of my cousins, based on my observations of their behaviour during our every meet, which I cannot speak of due to my previous experience and which will otherwise definitely terminate our relations.
Actually, we are never on good terms these days whenever I visit home and mostly converse only if required.
We are also not good in bed and I have also been feeling a low erectile in bed these days.
These moments have affected me psychologically and I feel very negative about our relationship.
My family remains my priority and I have been trying to see that we all are all happy as a family.
I have even sacrificed my own family time for better earnings so that my family can get all the best in life.
She takes good care of the children and manages the house nicely.
I also ensure that we, as a family, go out on long journeys for travel and my children are everything for me.
I have trying to cope up with all this by focusing on work and socialising with friends to the best extent possible.
However, her behaviour (in spite of my presence) makes me feel negative.
How can I deal with the matter since any re-attempt on my part to speak on the same matter, even if cordially, with my wife will create another storm like earlier?
I wish to sort out the differences and need your advice. Should we meet a counsellor separately on this to sort out the matter?
Keep me anonymous and respect my privacy.
You’ve been sweeping the same issues your marriage has faced from the very beginning under the carpet for 15 years. Why?
And instead of addressing the issues, you decided to go ahead and have a second child?
Having a child is a joy in itself, but it is never the solution to marital woes; in fact, in most cases it only exacerbates the problem.
From everything you’ve told me, you seem to come across as an insecure husband.
I’m not saying that what you’ve told me is untrue, but you keep suspecting your wife of flirting with random men and have no proof of it.
Both sides of the family support her and let me tell you, unless she is a master of deception, no one can conceal their true nature so well from everyone else for the better part of two decades.
Maybe what you construe as flirting is simply her being friendly? Maybe you’re just not comfortable with the manner in which she interacts with other men?
Have you ever managed to prove her inappropriate relations? And when you accuse her, she blows up at you... a guilty party would not react in so volatile a manner.
I do think marital counselling is in order. And yes, maybe separately at first and then together.
Contact a good therapist and do it sooner rather than later... 15 years has been long enough!
Love Guru,
First let me tell you to be anonymous while publishing reply on this.
I am having multiple health problems that might lead to early death as well. I don't want to hide this from my life partner.
I'm in love with a girl, whom I can't marry as the law won't allow it under the Sapinda relationship (ed: referring to marriage between cousins within the Hindu community) clause. She too is madly in love with me.
Recently she met a boy, whom she thinks she can marry and settle.
I'm more than happy to hear that as I am not sure with my regularly weakening health condition, I can be with her for life.
I have already asked her to go forward with the marriage proposal.
I don't know if can live without her.
Somehow I'm getting a feeling that I'm running away from my responsibility. Not sure what to do.
Can you please advise?
You’re not running away from responsibility, you’re sparing her the responsibility of playing caregiver to you as your health deteriorates and, more importantly, leaving her bereft of a life partner at a young age.
I’m sorry to hear that you have such severe issues but, as difficult as it is for you, I do think this is the right decision if you’re putting her happiness before yours.
The fact that she’s agreed to marry someone else also should also tell you that, inherently, even she is hesitant about your situation.
Moreover, there’s the Sapinda clause, legally speaking, which won’t permit you to marry... you haven’t disclosed just how closely the both of you are related here.
So, all circumstances considered, I think her moving on with someone else is in her best interests.
I wish you health and happiness.
Dear Love Guru,
I’m in my early twenties.
I’ve had some nice relationships over the years that had their own timespan.
But this girl I am seeing now is something else. We’ve been seeing each other for over a year and it’s the longest I’ve been in a relationship. She’s really special.
She is crazy, unconventional, smart. People think she is rude; I think she says it as it is.
She’s not a great believer in family relationships. In my family, that is very important.
We are not talking marriage or anything like that, we are too young for that. But I want to introduce her to my family. And I want to be introduced to hers.
I want each other to part of family events.
She’s not in favour of the idea.
What do you think?
And what if we go ahead and she really brushes my family the wrong way -- ie they misunderstand her? What if her family thinks I am not the right guy?
Aarav
Dear Aarav,
Your girlfriend may well be a good match for you and I’m happy you’re so taken with her, but I do think there are a few red flags here that you shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss.
First off -- whatever must be said to someone can be said nicely. There’s no need to rub people the wrong way with what you have to say.
Telling it like it is may be one thing but if most folks find her rude, then yes, she probably is rude.
It’s not nice to hurt someone’s feelings. You can be smart and unconventional and still polite.
Second, about the family angle. Maybe she doesn’t want to get overfamiliar with your relatives before things are official between the two of you.
You said yourself that you’re too young for marriage, and she probably doesn’t want pressure from all quarters, which can well be the norm in our society.
But why doesn’t she believe in family relationships?
If you’re more a family-oriented person and she’s more a loner who prefers things remaining between the two of you, that is another potential problem in future.
Work this out with her and do it sooner rather than later.
As the sheen wears off new romances, the seemingly smaller issues can take on magnified proportions.
Dear Love Guru
I lost the love of my life. She decided she did not want to go ahead with the relationship and left me five years ago. We were together for seven years.
I don’t know where she is now, whether she married or not, nothing. She just disappeared on me.
My family knows and they feel I have waited long enough. They want me to marry. I have given in and I am engaged. She is very nice but I don’t love her.
I want to break the engagement because I feel it is not fair to her. I also feel it will be unfair to break the engagement because of the badnaami.
What do I do? How to correct this mistake?
Please keep my name secret.
Let me get this straight.
You’ve wasted 11 years on an ex who dumped you on your head and then ghosted you? What’s wrong with you, man? Anyone who behaves like that is not worth a minute more of your time!
And now you’re going to ruin some hapless girl’s life by marrying her because your family thinks you should? And breaking off an engagement is ‘badnaami’?
Grow a pair and put an end to this engagement at once or you may well find yourself facing a divorce later on in life!
It certainly is unfair to the girl you’re marrying if you don’t feel anything for her or the potential to do so.
And, for heavens’ sake, stop sulking about the woman who walked out on you and get a life... one that makes you happy! The key word being ‘life’, not necessarily ‘wife’!
