I’ve been with my girlfriend for three years. We both work corporate jobs in Bangalore, hundreds of kilometers away from our hometowns. She earns roughly double what I make. For me, a round trip home costs around ₹20,000, which eats up a huge chunk of my monthly savings. As a result, I only manage to visit my parents twice a year. She visits hers 7 to 8 times a year, usually for a week at a time, and I’ve never once questioned it because family comes first. I haven't been home in six months. This year, my company finally transitioned me to permanent remote work. I planned to visit my parents around mid-October for Durga Puja and stay through Diwali—about 20 days in total. I had to miss Puja last year because of project deadlines, so I was counting down the days to sit with my mom and dad. When I told her my plan, everything went downhill. We've been fighting for three days. Her stance is: "I'm not stopping you, but I will be deeply upset if you go." She gives me the cold shoulder, refuses to engage in conversation, and turns the entire apartment into a pressure cooker. I don't know how to explain to her that spending 20 days with my aging parents doesn't mean I love her any less. Missing my family shouldn't be treated like a betrayal.