It's in the nature of Sri Lankan girls to never say ‘no' – while it's the height of contempt, it also means that you don't deserve the breath of air in your respiratory system. ‘No' is what bad people use, you're taught, and this becomes a problem later in life when you're ridden with guilt when you have to decline something or someone. Vegetarians force-feed themselves meatballs, others ‘friend' people on Facebook, and some others even go on excruciating dates, all because we feel pain in saying ‘no' and cannot bring themselves to pronounce this mono-syllable. 

However, if you’re smart enough, you will be able to decipher a few additional ways in which Sri Lankan girls say ‘no’ – this unspoken word can take many physical forms and speak volumes more if you would care to listen, like during the instances below. 

Not Adding you on Facebook

When she doesn’t accept your request on Facebook, any sane person will understand what this connotes. Does this stop them? Absolutely not. They will pursue with repeated requests, pokes, and even direct messages saying ‘Hai sexy’ or ‘Can u add me plz?' to a point where your only option would be to block them until they find you on alternate social media platforms.

The Staring Competition

Have you noticed that if you’re in a public place, Sri Lankans go out of their way to express themselves in non-verbal ways? They probably win all the staring competitions, totally unfazed that you notice that their gaze is directed to everything other than your face. If women look back at you meeting your gaze looking annoyed, do note that they are not ‘playing along', begging the perpetrator to advance with more vilely looks – they're genuinely ruffled. So annoyed that you might even meet a fatality of a slipper!

“My Ammi said No"

I cannot count the many times I've used this to excuse myself out of things I didn't want to do. I could've said 'no', but I've decided to dramatise it all the more and prolong my pain. There is a 99% chance that she is saying this because she doesn’t want to be at your party, be seen with you in public, or take on your offer of cheap drinks at the Dutch Hospital after hours. Every Happy Hour in town is a Sad Hour when she is with people she doesn't want to be with, so the famed ‘Ammi' comes to the rescue.

Dance with Me

If she seems like she is having a ball on the dance floor, she definitely is. There is no faking the exhilaration. So, you don’t have to cut in and start grinding in. This is not needed. If she and her friends side-eye you and move to the opposite side of the room making every attempt not to make eye contact, this can be loosely translated to ‘no, thank you'. So you can make your exit here. While many women appreciate heroic attempts to woo them, there is a chance that she has filed you mentally as 'pervy and thirty'.

I have a Work thing

This happens when you try to make every attempt to fit into her calendar. When you text her asking if she's free on multiple days, and if she's responded with ‘Sorry, I have a work thing' – she is gently letting you down. You should take advantage of this.

Unplanned Plans

It’s definitely a ‘no’ if she thinks for a moment to conjure an unconvincing story about having to do something with a best friend. No amount of unpreparedness can give away a hint so loud and clear.

Leaving you at ‘Seen’

This isn’t just limited our beautiful island in the sun. This is a universal way of showing the intended person that you aren’t available to talk – at all. However, since they don’t get this point this eventually leads them to getting blocked on platforms like WhatsApp and Viber. They don’t quit until they’ve sent you memes, songs, and even their selfies (ew). Pursue with passion, they seem to be telling themselves.

If you're a guy, these are your cues to pass. Sure, she may not be audibly saying no, but if her actions had a volume to it, it might be loud enough to burst your eardrums. After all, she is only trying to let you down gently, without causing too much drama or embarrassment. If you think you can win her over by the power of persuasion, you've never been more wrong. Your next move, to iterate my point, is not to pursue the very thing that you're not getting any answer to – I believe this was coined insanity by Einstein.

If this has happened to you, or someone you know, hit the ‘share' button and send it to them.
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By: Ms Confidential