Dear Diana,
I am friendly with this girl for a while now. We hang out together in a group. It has been over a year since I got to know her. I now feel she is the girl for me, but do not know how to tell her. I have been dropping hints, but she is not reciprocating my feelings. How do I know what is going on in her mind? As we are always together in a group, I do not get time to talk to her alone. How do I ask her to meet me alone? Should I just tell her I like her? I don't know how she will react. She might be put off or be embarrassed. At times, I feel that she likes me, but then she mostly behaves like a buddy. I am confused. I have heard that friends can be lovers. Should I ask my other friends in the group to ask her? At the same time, they might end up making fun of me.
— Sujoy


Illustration/Uday Mohite 

Dear Sujoy,
Why are you getting tongue-tied? She is your pal, so start dropping hints about your feelings to gauge her reaction. Also, if you are comfortable with her, what is stopping you from asking her directly? You say that you get the vibe that she likes you, so she might be just waiting for you to make the first move. She perhaps may be finding herself in a similar situation and is too scared to tell you. If you are close to any of the other guys in the group, there is no harm telling them. Perhaps they can help you overcome your shyness. So get going before someone else fancies her or she feels you are not interested in her.