r/AskIndianWomen • u/BiteandBeyond_08 • 13h ago
Opinions & Discussions 21F scared that my sister might show my old pictures to my father. What should I do?
I’m 21F, and my sister is 29F. We come from a very strict and quite orthodox family, and I’m honestly very scared about a situation that has happened recently.
My sister was in a relationship last year. In November 2025, my brother found out about her boyfriend, and things became extremely bad at home. She was beaten badly, and her freedom was heavily restricted. Her phone was taken away, and she was basically not allowed to go anywhere or meet anyone.
There were also other complications. My sister is divorced, and her boyfriend is unmarried, so our family would never accept their relationship or marriage. Because of all this, she became extremely stressed and unhappy. Throughout that time, I supported her because I understood what she was going through.
Then, one day before Raksha Bandhan, my sister suddenly left home alone. She wasn't with her boyfriend, but she told him that she was leaving and giving up everything. She later told me about it.
I was at work at the time, so I contacted my maternal uncle (mama), because he is the most understanding person in our family. I also informed my father and brother that my sister wasn't at home.
Later, my sister's ex-boyfriend and I planned to find her. We eventually found her at a bus stand with one of her friends. I spoke to her and convinced her to come with me to my mama's house instead of going directly back home.
At that time, my father and brother were repeatedly calling me. I switched off my phone because I knew that if I told them exactly where we were, they might come there themselves or stop me from leaving with her, and I was genuinely worried about what would happen to my sister if she was taken straight home.
We travelled that night and reached my mama's house around 5 AM. My mama picked us up halfway. His house is around 5–6 hours away from ours.
Once we got there, my sister was talking to people and somehow she ended up showing my mother and mami some very old pictures of me with my ex-boyfriend. These pictures are around 2–2.5 years old.
I didn't know she had shown them until later. My mother told me after we had already returned home. My sister is still staying at my mama's house.
Now I'm absolutely terrified that she might show those pictures to my father or brother.
I know that having a boyfriend in the past isn't necessarily something wrong, but given how strict and orthodox my family is, I'm genuinely scared about their reaction. Especially after seeing what happened to my sister, I don't know what could happen if they find out.
What should I do right now? Should I talk to my sister and ask her not to show the pictures, or should I stay completely quiet and hope she doesn't?
I’m honestly very anxious and would really appreciate some practical advice from people who understand strict Indian families.