what if you followed through on that pact and actually married your best friend, not because of a ticking clock or because you actually fell in love, but because you realized that they would be the best person to grow old and raise a family with, even though you had no romantic or sexual feelings towards them at all? “platonic marriages are when people that are friends who are not sexually involved decide to make a commitment in marriage for …

realising they weren’t a romantic match, they continued to meet up and co-work in cafes. if there is a decision that needs to be made in my life, i will use her as a point of guidance,” explains chiderah, who works in pr and as a model. ideas of what constitutes a ‘legitimate’ romantic relationship have broadened in the past few decades. “of course there are some needs that chiderah can’t fulfil but in terms of a partnership, the foundation …

this means that there is a feeling of closeness if you’re intimate with another, which doesn’t really have to be with your spouse. if your bond with your friend or platonic intimacy isn’t what it used to be, don’t worry. perhaps the one type of intimacy people think of when they think of intimacy; sexual intimacy is when you form a bond with someone through, well, sex. it doesn’t have to be the cliché of having candles in the room …