Kaling, a noted fan and student of romantic comedies , definitely knows how exciting it can be to gush over grand gestures and indulge in a little bit of speculative daydreaming about your favorite characters. But in real life, when it comes to real people, relationships grow and evolve — especially longtime relationships like Kaling and Novak’s. They’ve known each other for about 16 years now, Kaling says, and a lot has happened since they first met in their early 20s.