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Long engagements become boring with time. When one is engaged and also lives nearby and meets regularly then the thrill and excitement fades with time. If one sees eachother say once a month or so then its ok.
I would say that 3 years should be the maximum and not more than that!! One should marry when things are fresh and not when one is in the middle of a fight or has has many arguments. These things, if they happen after marriage can be cleared in a lovelier way :)
I dont see the point in long engagements. I mean if circumstances cant be helped then get engaged 4 and a half yrs later!! Why attatch yourself to a person (in the sense that you will be marrying them) and then keep yourself waiting for 5 yrs? It seems flat out stupid.
And what PA has said makes sense as well. I think guys do not depend as much on stable relationships initially (engagement) but may get dependent later on.
may be totally unrelated to the discussion here, but one of my friends actually believes its better to have an engagement for a 4-5 year tenor because…
…phir har eid par eidi (kapray and the associated stuff) free main aa jaata hai! 
Haha. Good point. Sirf Eid par hi nahi, balkay round the clock maal paani aata rehta haiy.
My mamoo was engaged for almost 5-6 years before tying the knot. That is a bit too much i think. But i also don’t like Jat Mangni Pat Biah.
Khanzada-- that was funny:hehe: but yes its partially true in our society. And thats such a sad state of affairs.
:k:
Re: Getting engaged 
i think getting engaged n waiting for 2 years is fine … burt for 5 years is way too much… coz in 5 years… things can change in sooooo many ways… ..
a person’s views .. ideas… even habits… can change…and once u r into some1 u feel like knowing him/her more… but when u know some1 too much (especially ur fiance’) then… 
soooooooooo i think it’s better to get engaged for a year or soooo… n then get married…
My dada was engaged for about 14 years. Turned out he married someone else. I juss dun think long engagements are always a wise idea. smile
one of my friend got engaged in this summer and getting married in next summer....
it was totally arranged, even though they were cousions but they haven't seen each other for like 7 years now when ever he comes to her home they just smile and say hello hi,
his parents say he is a shy person. there is no date or going out thing between them.....
Do u think its normal not to talk to ur fiance?