Absence Makes The Heart Fonder

The year 1998. He pursued on Economics. She ventured into Engineering. Even though they were in different colleges, they did reconcile again.

It was a short bliss for she had to leave to further her studies in England. It was a tough decision to make - To continue the relationship or to break it off. Friends said that it will not work. Some said not to give up. He promised to wait for her. She promised to come back. And so, they moved into a long distance relationship for 2 years - 7 hours apart from each other, 12 hours flight away.

They wrote letters as often as they could (they take almost a week to reach). Internet wasn't very easily accessible back then, he had to go to the cybercafes and she would camp at the computer lab in between and after classes or from home just to log onto IRC to chat or e-mail each other. She would buy £20-30 worth of international phonecards just to call him from the nearest public phone booth every weekend. Even so with owning a mobile phone, one could not even send international SMS-es back then. On top of that, she was living with 5 other guys and she could only come back during her summer break.

It was a difficult test for the both of them - On trust, patience and communication. No hugs nor kisses whenever needd. They couldn't even be physically there for each other but to resort to hearing laughter or sense each other's smiles over the phone. Absence did make the heart grow fonder. They both looked forward to every single phone call, letter, parcel, e-mail and her summer break. He even used up his savings just to fly to England to celebrate Millenium with her.

But barely few months before she came back for good, it finally took a toll on them. Perhaps there had been many issues being that they did not know what was going on with each other, that they couldn't do anything for each other and so many more. Perhaps it was also the insecurities that she was surrounded with guy friends while he on the other hand, had plenty of girl coursemates. So many unresolved issues that they unconsciously let the flame stop burning.

Being in a long distance relationship is always tougher than said. But it does not mean that it will never work. It does. It worked for others. Perhaps it just did not work in the end for them.