While the retort does make a valid point about the unpredictability of relationships, it's a bit short-sighted. That's because Nikhil's original statement wasn't expecting a single relationship to last nine years; he was expecting two different kinds of relationships to happen in tandem. A three-month relationship followed by a six-year friendship is entirely achievable, as long as both parties are willing to go with the flow. Yes, relationships take effort to maintain, but it doesn't have to be all or nothing. UrRong to think that the two can't coexist - they can, and they probably should!