I moved to Mumbai in 2021 for university. I earned my bachelor’s degree this year and am now pursuing my master’s. My parents rent an apartment for me here and also give me a monthly allowance. I’ve told them I can get a job so I wouldn’t be a burden, but they refuse to let me work, whether part-time or full-time, saying I should focus entirely on my studies. In the summer of 2024, I met a much older man and we started dating. I moved into his house in December. Here’s the issue: my parents are still paying for the apartment and sending me money each month. I haven’t spent any of it since I started dating this man and have been saving it so I can eventually give it back to them. But if I tell them to stop sending money and paying rent, they’ll know something’s up, and I don’t want to tell them about my relationship because I know they’ll react badly. At the same time, I feel guilty because my parents aren’t wealthy enough for that money to be pocket change.
The obvious feedback is be honest and tell them, but then again Indian parents are a different deal. My friend is now married to an Indian girl, and they lied about their relationship for about a year. She was “hanging out with friends” pretty much every weekend. She was “looking forward to sharing a bed after the wedding”. And it worked out for them, she didn’t get her relationship meddled in and they’re none the wiser.