Sep 9, 2026, 10:00 PM1 views

‘There’s something there, but I don’t know where it’s going’: You might be in a ‘maybelationship’

A maybelationship is an undefined dating dynamic where two people share emotional intimacy and relationship-like behaviour but never commit. Experts explain why people stay in the “maybe” zone and how uncertainty can affect emotional…

5 min readNew DelhiSep 9, 2026 10:00 PM IST

Couple sitting together in an undefined relationship or maybelatership

Modern dating can often leave people caught between connection and commitment (Image Source: Pixabay)

A maybelatership or maybelationship is when two people stay stuck in undefined dating dynamics, not single, not together, held indefinitely in a state of ‘maybe later.’ Neither person calls it a relationship, but neither walks away either.

Explaining this, Damini Grover, a counselling psychologist, author and life coach, says, “There can be attraction, emotional intimacy, regular communication and even relationship-like behaviours but no clear understanding of what the two people are building together.”

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.

So how exactly does this work?

According to Damini, “A maybelationship can live in the ‘maybe’ zone without the sense of progression that even a slow-burn relationship has, where two people may be taking their time but there is some sense of progression.” However, what holds people in is often not what the relationship is now, but what they think it could be.

The Indian Express Verified Source

Reported by @indianexpress · Syndicated via official news feed

Read Full Story on The Indian Express

Explore all India stories

Syndicated feed content with full publisher credit.

India Desk

More in India

Continue reading verified coverage and related developments on this desk.

View All

INDIA5M AGO

EC invites TMC groups led by Ritabrata, Mamata for meeting in Delhi on Saturday

: Move comes 2 days after it announced by-polls in two Bengal seats, where the dispute over the party symbol is likely to come up.

INDIA9M AGO

Police issue directives to club, bar operators across Coimbatore district

Coimbatore police enforce strict compliance for clubs and bars to ensure safety and prevent incidents linked to liquor sales.

INDIA11M AGO

Yemen rebels report fresh Saudi strikes as conflict deepens

Yemen's Houthi rebels report over 50 Saudi airstrikes amid escalating conflict, causing significant casualties and humanitarian crises.

INDIA16M AGO

Indian Navy’s ocean research vessel ‘Sagar Manthan’ launched at Kolkata port

Built by Kolkata-based GRSE Ltd for the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the indigenous vessel will strengthen India’s ‘Deep Ocean Mission’.

INDIA18M AGO

Coal India steps up output, supplies to power plants as rains subside

Despatches from Coal India's mines to the power sector rose 27% to 1.74 million tonnes on 8 September, from an average of 1.37 million tonnes a day during the first three days of the month, the state-run miner said.

INDIA20M AGO

IAEA board reports Iran to UN Security Council

The UN atomic watchdog's board has reported Iran to the Security Council. This action stems from Iran's failure to cooperate with inspectors investigating uranium traces. Twenty-three nations supported the resolution, while China and…