What Happens When the Feeling’s Not Mutual?

It is quite uncommon to go through life without having at least one awkward situation when it comes to relationships. Maybe you accidentally tripped in front of your crush while you were trying out some new moves at the club or maybe you knocked over a glass of wine – right down your date’s brand new shirt.

It is terribly embarrassing. But the important thing is how you are able to make a comeback so that you don’t look like you have completely lost your mind.

This week, readers were asked what they would do if they said ‘I love you’ to their partner and received ‘OK’ as a response. Awks.

“You don’t necessarily have to respond with ‘I love you too’. It is too cliché in my opinion,” Eliaser Ndeyanale said.

Sara Kashawa thought it would be quite hurtful. “Huh? OK means nothing to me. It’s a sign of disrespect and not being interested. I will ask what does ‘OK’ refer to?” Good question.

“OK. Ha. I wish I loved you!” Eveh Nicky said, while Christa Hange didn’t think it was a joke. “I will be like ‘what? So that means you don’t love me or what?’”

Of course, it is natural to feel angry, especially since ‘I love you’ are the words you say when you truly feel something for your partner. After all, you wouldn’t just say it to anyone unless you truly meant it.

Sunny Imbili had her own way of explaining it. “Well, in most instances when the other party responds in that way, it just means maybe they are not at the same stage as you are, so it’s only fair to understand them, until they feel they love you too. Otherwise you will just be getting an answer to satisfy you or hear what you want to hear even though it’s only half true.”

Sadly, this is the case for some people.

Although they may only be three words, they do mean a lot more than you may think. Because of the meaning behind it, others seem to have devious intentions and say it to make the other party happy, even though they do not feel the same way.

“I have to take a deep breath, then look at her to see if she is telling lies,” Henok Pangeiko said. “Then, if I find out that it’s not, I have to go closer to her, then give her a deep kiss. Ja, like that.” Guess he’s all about ‘going in for the kill’.

Patronella Petrus said she wouldn’t like to be in that situation. “That’s one way of not showing love. Respect that person doesn’t love you in return, otherwise there’s no way he can answer such sh*t. It’s better to live single, rather than keeping a fake partner who doesn’t really care about you.”

Beenzu Mapani had a good plan intact. “I would ask ‘how can you say OK?’ Because ‘OK’ is a cold response as if you don’t care at all. If you feel something, but you know you are not ready to say ‘I love you’, smile, kiss me, hug me, say you’re glad… Not ‘OK’!” Totally understandable.

Saara Auala also had her two cents to put into the conversation: “I’ll go all ghetto on him. Like hold up, n*gga, did you just ‘OK’ me? So wait, let me get this straight.

Is it ‘OK, thanks for loving me’? Is it ‘OK, I heard what you said’? Is it that OK followed by an ‘I love you too’ in the next couple of seconds? Or is it an ‘OK, let’s end this conversation because the feeling isn’t mutual’?

And if it’s the last one, I want to know if you are at least planning on making it mutual in the near future, because if you’re not, then don’t let the doorknob hit you where the good Lord split you!”

And there you have it.

If you don’t feel the same way, go for something else rather than ‘OK’.

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