No 'home' for physical abuse

My boyfriend has hit me very hard last night. He had always been abusive but last night was a nightmare. What should I do? I love him.

T Smith, New Delhi

I'm sorry to hear it and my only suggestion would be to step away. Physical abuse is a crime. You should not tolerate this behaviour. Give the relationship a break. Ignore him and continue living life your way. Anger management is an essential part of life. He has to realise his mistake and ensure that this is never repeated. Till such time, do not give in. Let him be. Please take care and be happy.

My mother died when I was very young. Since then my father dates multiple women. I'm angry and feel helpless at home. I'm in 2nd year of Engineering. What can I do?

Name unknown

Your father has all the right to lead his life according to his choice. You too have the right to feel disturbed in the situation. Considering you are mature enough to take a decision, I strongly recommend you to start living away from home.

If your college does not have any hostel, start living as a PG or with someone you can. At the end of the day, you cannot change his way of life. Best is to focus on yours and make it better. Good luck.

I am a divorcee. I got attracted to my brother-in-law who helped me a lot in my divorce process. He is younger than me and I love him a lot. What should I do in such situation?

N Mitra, Kolkata

We all need good friends and company and this loneliness is the reason why you have got attracted to your brother-in-law. May be he adores you a lot but do not make the mess of your life. You do not know whether he is in love or not and as you said you are elder to him. He might have helped and supported you only because his brother did wrong to you. So it's better to live the life as its going and if something would be positive from his side then he himself will make the move. Otherwise let him be your true friend.

I have a friend and I know he loves me immensely but he never accepts. He never proposed but gets jealous if I hang around with other guys. What could be this relationship and its future?

Sunita, Haryana

Unfortunately, this is a very common situation and I really don't know what's holding your "friend" back. One thing you can do is not be so "available". My advice would be to start seeing other people and when he calls, occasionally tell him you're busy or going out. Maybe that will snap him out of the "we're just friends" routine. He may be jealous and possessive but unless he steps up, what do you really have? He's scared of something and he has to deal with whatever that is before he would be ready for anything deeper. Handle the present well and all will be good!

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Roopsha Dasguupta