Strict traditional Indian parents found out about my long-distance girlfriend and are putting extreme restrictions on me
I’m a young adult living at home with strict traditional Indian parents. I’ve been in a serious long-distance relationship for a while. I kept it private because I knew how they would react. Recently my mom went through my phone and found out. She got very angry, said I broke their trust, and now the consequences are extreme: I’m not allowed to leave the house, they took away my phone, they’ve completely shut down any idea of me going out of state for college (which I was planning for college to be closer to my girlfriend). She also knows the situation i am in and wants to help me out.
I still love my parents and don’t want to cut them off. At the same time, I love my girlfriend I love her more then anything and don’t want to lose her. I’m also financially dependent on my family (they have businesses I may eventually be involved in), so just walking away isn’t simple.
I feel stuck between wanting more independence and not wanting to destroy my relationship with my family. The situation has been really heavy and overwhelming.
I’m not looking for “just run away” advice. I’m looking for realistic perspectives from people who’ve dealt with strict traditional parents, especially around relationships, control, and gradual independence.
Any advice on how to navigate this without making things worse would help.