He does not talk about marriage

Dear Diana,
My boyfriend and I have been together for three years. I met him through a cousin who knew his sister. We have talked about getting married. But it has all been very casual. We are both 26. Of late, however, he gets uncomfortable when I bring up the subject and quickly changes the topic. I love him and can't imagine life with anyone else. Why is he behaving in such a manner? Due to my anxiety, I am even putting a time limitu00a0 to fix the date.
-u00a0Noreen

Illustration/ Satish Acharya

Dear Noreen,
Your guy suffers from commitment phobia. Obviously there is something going on in his mind. You love him but the way he is behaving, it appears that there is always a fear of him leaving you. I think he's afraid to step up the relationship to being a real one. Hanging out together is one thing but taking the relationship to the next level requires a mature mind. Keep the lines of communication open and patiently help him to confront the issues in his life that are holding him back. I am sure if you have a serious talk with him, he will tell you why.

u00a0