Acharya Prashant addresses the issue of a fading spark in a relationship by first questioning the modern art of making and breaking relationships. He finds the concepts of "it's on," "it's off," and "we broke up" incomprehensible. He suggests that if a relationship's warmth has cooled, it should be apparent to both parties, much like one doesn't need a thermometer to know food is cold. He advises that relationships should evolve gradually, like the sun that sets slowly and doesn't disappear forever. He quotes Kabir Saheb, stating that excess of anything is not goodтАФneither too much rain nor too much sun, neither too much talking nor too much silence. Therefore, one should approach closeness and distance in relationships slowly and gently. Acharya Prashant explains that he has never understood the concept of a breakup. He posits that while two prisoners can exist together in a jail, only two free birds can truly love each other. Love requires freedom. He advises living life like a river, which flows naturally and never reverses its course. Life should move forward without the options of 'delete' or 'undo'. He suggests that when life lacks a meaningful purpose, minor issues like relationship problems become monumental. The issue is not the relationship itself, but the absence of a higher goal in life. He further criticizes the formalization of relationships by giving them names like 'girlfriend' or 'husband,' as this creates bondage and a set of duties and expectations. This formalization, he argues, is the beginning of the relationship's destruction and stems from fear and a need for security, not love. Love has no need for promises; in love, even unmade promises are fulfilled. Where there is no freedom, there can be no love. He describes the act of one partner checking the other's phone or purse as a sign of an exclusive, vulgar, and violent relationship based on mutual bondage. Ultimately, Acharya Prashant advises against a formal, dramatic breakup. He suggests maintaining a natural, friendly relationship where the intensity may change over time, but there is no need for a formal declaration of ending things. He advises against the violent act of tearing a relationship apart. If one partner wants to watch a movie and the other doesn't, they should simply decline for the movie, not for the entire relationship. He concludes that there is no need to formally break up; instead, one should maintain a natural friendship where phases of closeness and distance can occur without drama.
