I agree with dimple quite a bit, particularly on the part about infatuation being mistaken for love. Kapeel, you mentioned that the guy n girl were doing their undergrad -- so i am assuming they were probably in their late teens. At that age, young people often have strong emotions and a very black and white view of the world, especially regarding love. Love is a mutli-faceted feeling and often takes different forms at various times and as we age. So, it appears to me that the girl realized that he is not the right person for her (for her own personal reasons that I don't wish to speculate on). It's easy for someone to say that the guy should also do the same because obviously he's not on the same wavelength as she is. And by that I'm not implying that she's superior to him for surpassing him academically. Rather, and perhaps to some degree because of the academic divide, the girl is on a different emotional level, with her own needs that the guy is unable to fulfill and vice versa. The onus is on the guy to come to terms to this reality -- in his own time. I know that at this point the guy feels rejected and it's tough to accept rejection, regardless of your sex. Talking to her about this issue is a good idea toward reaching some sort of resolution. It's not easy, I know, but worth a try. Another, perhaps a harsher observation is this. You mentioned that the guy was 1 yr senior to the girl in the undergrad years. So for her to outpace him, he must've failed twice in a row. Now THAT is a cause for concern. What was happening in the guy's life to make him do so poorly? What was the nature of their relationship in this time-frame that may or may not have contributed to his failure? My instinctive reaction to this was that on some level, his poor academic performance was a reflection of his lack of committment to the relationship. If he "loved" her so much, he would've worked on his academic skills after his 1st brush with defeat. And it seems from your description, particularly in reference to her wanting to excel in studies and move ahead in life, that she values academic success. Perhaps she was unhappy with the guy's consecutive failures, given her personal standards for academic pursuits. So, another suggestion, if the guy "truly loves" her is for him to rise to the standards she prefers, if he wants her back. I know that it sounds very selfish but love doesn't mean that you have to abandon a pragmatic approach and dwell in the clouds. Hope the guy, whoever he is, will be able to resolve this tragic story and have a happy ending!