You pick her up from work. You buy her flowers. You tell her she’s the most beautiful girl in the world. You’re always there when she needs you, and you show up even when she doesn’t. Sometimes, she calls you first. Sure, it’s usually for a favor, but she turned to you and no one else. You’ve got this one locked up. Right?
WRONG! Fellas, we hate to break it to you, but if this sounds all too familiar then you’ve been Friend-Zoned! What’s the Friend Zone? It’s that dreaded place girls tuck you away when they genuinely like you, but just not in that way. You’re a shoulder to cry on, a friend in need, the voice of reason. But that’s where it stops.
So what can you do? Is it possible to break out of the FZ and make a run for Lover’s Lane? A few brave souls have made the heroic leap (eg: Aamir Khan in Rangeela and Ranbir Kapoor in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahaani). But the first step to any recovery is acceptance. So here, as a public service, is our list of 10 definite signs that you’re in the dreaded Friend Zone. Find out now before it’s too late!
1. No matter what you say, she routinely brushes you off with conversation-killers such as “awwww,” “okay then,” and “sounds good.”
2. Your world-class flirting on Whatsapp is usually met with “Offline.”
3. She always tells you who she drunk dialed the night before… and it’s never you.
4. When you ask her for a romantic night out, her response is generally “Can I bring a friend?”
5. The only two things you ever talk about are her exes, or her current love interests.
6. You’re the safe friend that’s used as an excuse with her parents whenever she’s out with other guys.
7. She refers to you as BRO!
8. You never fight or squabble… and you thought that was a good thing.
9. The only time she ever shows you off is when she’s trying to make someone else jealous.
10. You see her pajamas more often than you see your own.
Getting worried? Team MissMalini‘s resident Uday Chopra fan (yes, we’re looking at you Rashmi Daryanani) suggests you watch Mujhse Dosti Karoge as it’s the ultimate Bollywood guide on ‘friend zoning’.
And if you want to watch a fun video released by Culture Machine’s Being Indian, check out “Mumbai on Friendzone” below:
Can you think of any other Bollywood movies that feature a successful Friend Zone Escape?
With inputs from Rashmi Daryanani and Nowshad Rizwanullah