Love with an expiry date: Why 37% of Indian daters are using ‘sunset clause’ to escape situationship trap

But does putting a timeline on love protect it—or reduce it to a checklist?

When love had no expiry date

For Punita Rawat, 41, who married her partner in 2010 after dating him for eight years, the idea feels unfamiliar. “When we were courting in the early 2000s, there was more patience and less pressure to define everything immediately,” she says. “We didn’t have a timeline or an exit clause—we just grew together organically.”

Rawat understands why young people today feel the need for protection.“The dating landscape has changed dramatically with apps and endless options. People are trying to save themselves from uncertainty, emotional harm, and wasted time,” she says. “While I can’t say it’s wrong, it does feel very different. We were building something, not evaluating a trial period.”

Her concern lies in what timelines might do to emotional openness.“If you know there’s a review date coming, do you really let your guard down completely? Love needs room to breathe.”

Still, she admits that sunset clauses may be a response to modern dating realities.“They’re probably a reaction to situationships and breadcrumbing—not ideal, but better than being strung along indefinitely.”

Can structure replace commitment?

Rawat is sceptical that deadlines can create real consistency. “Commitment doesn’t come from clauses—it comes from genuine investment,” she says. “We’ve stayed together for 15 years not because of an agreement, but because we chose each other every day.”

To her, love cannot function like a limited-time offer. “If someone needs an expiration date to stay present, that suggests they’re not fully invested. Relationships are saved by love, effort, and shared values—not trial periods.”

What is a sunset dating clause? (Photo: Freepik)

‘Situationships are the real issue’

For Arshia Gulrays Shaikh, 28, sunset clauses aren’t a modern invention—they’re a return to clarity. “For centuries, dating had a clear path. People met, fell in love, married—or ended things,” she says.

“Situationships are new. They exist because relationships have become flexible enough for one person to string the other along.” Shaikh believes organisation and emotion can coexist. “Organised can also be organic. Both can be mutual and exclusive.”

She follows clear timelines herself. “I have a plan—commitment in six months, live-in in three years, marriage in five,” she says. “You know you love your friends after a few months. Why should romantic relationships be any different?”

For her, lack of structure often hides avoidance. “If a relationship doesn’t solidify after a certain time, it’s usually because someone is waiting for a better option.”
Realistic, not transactional.

Shaikh credits sunset clauses with helping her avoid mismatched intentions. “For the past year, I’ve been very clear that I’m not doing ‘go with the flow’. The men who wanted something real matched that clarity.”

While it hasn’t led to a long-term relationship yet, she doesn’t see that as a failure. “That’s been because of compatibility issues, not timelines. The ones who never wanted something serious often hid behind ambiguity.”

She also rejects the idea that sunset clauses make love transactional. “Every relationship has expectations. Wanting your time, effort, and loyalty to be respected isn’t a deal—it’s a boundary.”

Emotional fulfillment

Sadeekha Nayyim, 23, agrees that some structure is necessary—but with care. “There should be a time period to know each other truly,” she says. “If people commit too seriously before understanding differences, it often leads to forced adjustments and deeper heartbreak.” She sees the clause as a focused phase rather than a rigid deadline. “This period can still be a flow—a flow of getting to know one person properly.”

Exclusivity during this phase matters to her. “Talking to multiple people at once can hurt the other person involved.” Yet she remains cautious about over-structuring love. “Love should feel warm, safe, and reassuring—not stressful or calculated. But people are more cautious now because they’re afraid of getting hurt.”

What psychology says

According to Dr Pavitra Shankar, associate consultant, psychiatry, at Aakash Healthcare, sunset clauses reflect a broader emotional shift. “A sunset dating clause is an agreed time constraint after which partners reevaluate the relationship,” she explains. “It shows a move from emotional assumption to emotional clarity.”

She links the trend to dating app burnout. “Ghosting, choice overload, and superficial connections lead to emotional exhaustion. Timelines give people a sense of direction and help conserve emotional energy.”

However, intent matters more than structure. “When rooted in self-awareness and honest communication, sunset clauses can reflect emotional maturity. But when used to avoid vulnerability, they become emotional distance.”

She also warns against treating relationships like evaluations. “If efficiency overtakes compassion, partners may feel judged rather than accepted. Relationships need emotional safety, not constant assessment.”

A sunset clause is healthy when it’s mutual, flexible, and emotionally honest. It’s a red flag when it creates fear, pressure, or emotional withholding. And as Dr Shankar emphasises, “One must know to distinguish love from fallacy.”