Dear Diana,
I'm 29 and my girlfriend is 26. We've been together for about a year now. A close friend of hers informs me that she's getting friendly with her ex. She had called off the relationship and would badmouth him to all. I don't know how to go about it. Is it a sign that she does not want me in her scheme of things? When I asked her, she stated that she had just bumped into him once and just said a hello and moved on.
— Sunil


Illustration/Amit Bandre 

Dear Sunil,
First of all why are you depending upon what her friend is telling you? She might be just filling in your ears and trying to create a rift between you and your girlfriend. Do not go according to hearsay. Has she, of late, started maintaining a distance from you? Is there any change in her behaviour? You need to talk to her about it to put your suspicions to rest. And if she says that she just bumped into him, believe her instead of jumping to conclusions.