I did not believe in ORs! Then, out of nowhere, I found someone. Yes, online! I will not be overstating if I say, 'I owe my life to a chat friend I made sometime back.' My long held belief that people only chat and flirt online with no purpose took a u-turn that fateful day of February 13, 2003. This is the long and short of what happened. I met a girl in one of the popular chat rooms (khattam, to be exact). First day, we just talked about the usual stuff--books, movies and music. The same day, and before we had so much as exchanged felicitations, I asked her her name, which she duly gave without much ado. Nope! I did not believe she was telling me the truth. But, as I later found out, she had given me her full name de facto, the first time I had asked. I had never heard of any girl so honest in chatrooms. Nice start, I thought. Since, we have only gotten closer. The fact that impressed me the most about her was, as I earlier said, her honesty. Here I was, looking to pass my time by flirting around in different chatrooms, and always trying my best to hide my identity, and there she was with nothing to hide. But again, suspicions got the hold of me before I met her face-to-face. As one of the friends points out above, I was afraid that she could one of those girls who could not find any good looking guy, or I was perhaps that nerd one of my friends points out above '....It is only a way for some nerd behind the computer to wan k 7 times a day for not being accepted by girls in real life.' In response, it will suffice to say that she is one of the 'more' beautiful girls I have met, and I am not bad looking either (I know I am boasting!) though I ain't no women-killer, I admit. I think it comes down to what you are looking for. If you value 'sex' over everything else, chance are, you'll find a partner who thinks along similar lines. I was looking for a more genuine and serious relationship, and I found it. So, I definitely don't buy the story that online relationships don't work in real life. And if you are wondering how the two of us are going, well! We have been together for over a year now and are getting closer by the day. Since I have found what I have been looking for, I no longer need to go to anonymous chat rooms to flirt, or hook up temporary relationships, as well. I have no intention of letting her go anytime soon: think we'll be together for a few more decadesýkeep your fingers crossed for us, please! You never know, guys. Keep looking!