I am in class 12 and I have a crush on a girl from my class. I never talk to her in the class but we chat on Facebook. One of my female friends told me that she also likes me but  keeps mum because one of her other friends also has a crush on her and I don’t like that guy. I am suffering because of her friend. What should I do?
—Swapnil Kharat
Swapnil, When I was in class 12, I had a similar problem. I too was in love with a girl who didn’t respond to me because I didn’t like her friend. Of course, they took it too far and recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. Looking back, if I had made a move then, maybe they would have fallen in love with each other even sooner, who knows? Since you’re already talking to her on Facebook, I think you should suggest a casual date. If you spend some time alone, I think you can work around the jealousy issues. At your age you don’t inherit the friends and relatives along with the relationship. That comes after entering into a far more absurd contract called marriage. 

I am 19 and my girlfriend constantly faces eve-teasers at many places. I can’t be with her all the time to handle these idiots. How can I explain things to her and keep her calm? There’s a lot of stress in our relationship due to this. Please help.
—Being Cyrus 
I think you should involve college authorities or even the police. Remember although we need to be cautious about both eve-teasers and iguanas, the iguana is nicer. Meanwhile, I must tell you I find the Indian male ego to be very fragile. It’s like glass actually. If she returns the compliment in a rude and uncouth manner like they do, they won’t be able to swallow what they dish out themselves. How do I know this? Because I’m er..one of them. This also explains one fundamental difference between animals and us. Animals don’t eve tease.

I’m 17 and have been in a relationship with a girl for a year now. However, she never makes any effort to sustain the relationship. Lately, I have just been feeling empty from inside, and hoping that I’ll get some love in return. What do I do?
—Confused
Yes Mr Confused, I get the exact feeling every time I eat a thali. Thalis just aren’t what they used to be. Sometimes I get so depressed that I think of giving up eating altogether. In your case the emptiness is caused not by the lack of her love, but the lack of love in general. You need to look elsewhere; this relationship has run its course. Don’t despair, you’ll find love. What about me? Love is everywhere but where the hell will I find a good thali?  

I’m 19 and last year a guy asked me out. He’s 10 years older and we decided to get married after five years because he was doing his MBA. In reality he is just a B.Com graduate. I learnt this from one of his cousins. So I cleared the air and told him there was no hurry to get married. Was my reaction appropriate?
 —Daisy
Daisy, Hitler once said, “A lie is a horrible thing. Let’s all be horrible together.” But in your case, the very foundation of your relationship has been built on a lie. Only you can tell how devious or innocent that lie is. But yes, let’s not rush into marriage, although truth be told, a B.Com has a much more secure future than a MBA nowadays.