Dear Diana,
I've been with my boyfriend for three years, but he never seems to want to plan anything with me. He blames it on lack of time and finances yet he has just booked a week's holiday for his folks and he is going along too. I don't mind him doing that, but I do mind that he won't do anything for me. I feel lost and second best all the time and I think I deserve better.
— Uditi


Illustration/ Amit Bandre 

Dear Uditi,
Stop being the doormat — that is the reason you are not appreciated in the relationship. Your guy is taking you for granted as he has always had an upper hand in the relationship. You need to assert yourself and make him realise that he needs to make space for you as well as his folks. As you are not demanding, he continues to please the rest and not you. You need to tell him how you feel. He may laugh it off, but he needs to realise to respect your feelings. You have to be assertive too.