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Kanchan Rai |656 Answers |Ask -Follow

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Feb 11, 2026

Kanchan Rai has 10 years of experience in therapy, nurturing soft skills and leadership coaching. She is the founder of the Let Us Talk Foundation, which offers mindfulness workshops to help people stay emotionally and mentally healthy.
Rai has a degree in leadership development and customer centricity from Harvard Business School, Boston. She is an internationally certified coach from the International Coaching Federation, a global organisation in professional coaching.... more

Asked by Anonymous - Jan 06, 2026Hindi

I have a huge crush on my boyfriend's father. He is actually his stepfather and pretty young, 42. I am 26 and every time we meet I feel like there is an emotional and romantic connection. I used to casually flirt with him and tell him that he looks handsome. My BF also knows that I secretly like his company. I don't have a mother-in-law so there is no threat or pressure. She passed away 2 years ago and acc to my BF, she'd married her business colleague so he can take care of the business they built together. Now I am confused about my feelings. I don't want to dismiss my feelngs. I have never felt this way before with anyone else.

Ans: Let’s first look at this with clarity and kindness toward yourself. Attraction is not always about wanting a relationship. Sometimes it comes from admiration, feeling seen, feeling emotionally understood, or being drawn to someone’s confidence, maturity, or presence. In your case, this man is older, emotionally steady, has life experience, and may treat you with warmth and respect. Those qualities can feel very powerful, especially if they are missing or inconsistent elsewhere in your life.
But there are three realities you cannot ignore.
First, he is your boyfriend’s father figure. That creates a permanent emotional and ethical boundary. Crossing it — even emotionally — would cause deep harm, not just to your boyfriend, but to the entire family system. Even if nothing “physical” ever happens, emotional closeness or flirting in this context is already risky.
Second, you are currently in a relationship. If you are emotionally drawn to someone else, especially someone so close to your partner, it’s a sign that something inside you needs attention. Either you are craving more emotional connection, validation, excitement, or security than you’re getting — or you are going through a phase of self-discovery where your needs are shifting. This is not about blaming you; it’s about understanding yourself honestly.
Third, the fact that he has not crossed boundaries and seems to remain appropriate is important. It suggests he understands the responsibility of his role. That’s something to respect, not test.
Right now, the healthiest thing you can do is create emotional distance and clear boundaries. That doesn’t mean being rude. It means no flirting, no special emotional sharing, no seeking private moments. Keep interactions polite, warm, and public. This protects you, your boyfriend, and your future.
You also need to gently turn inward and ask yourself:
What am I really feeling here? Is it attraction, or is it admiration? Is it romance, or is it emotional safety? Is there something missing in my relationship that I’m unconsciously trying to fill?
If you find that your feelings for your boyfriend are weakening, that’s something you owe yourself and him to explore honestly. It doesn’t mean you must break up immediately. It means you need clarity before continuing.
Please understand this: acting on these feelings — even slightly — would almost certainly lead to regret, guilt, and broken trust. What feels exciting now would become very painful later.
You don’t need to “dismiss” your feelings. You need to understand them, respect their message, and then choose wisely what to do with them.
Strong people are not those who never feel tempted. They are those who know when not to act on temptation.