Colleague told him I like him...

Illustration/Uday Mohite

A colleague of mine recently found out that I have a huge crush on him, and this has made things very awkward between us. I mentioned it to someone from my department and had no idea he would spread the word, so this has been a difficult time for me at the office. I don't know what to do or how to defuse the situation. It has become so stressful that I am thinking of going on leave or even quitting, which I don't want to do because working in this organisation will be great for my future career. Should I just go and speak to my colleague and apologise for what I said, or should I wait until this blows over and people start to forget?
It is perfectly normal to have a crush on someone, and their finding out about it should only be awkward if you are dealing with a bunch of immature people. Quitting is not an option because the only person paying a price is you, that too for something that doesn't deserve this sort of reaction. Why not reach out to your colleague saying you would like to clear the air, sit down for a cup of coffee, and explain that what happened was meant to be a private conversation? This doesn't have to be awkward, and your colleague hasn't reacted, which means you don't know how he feels about this. If he chooses to ignore you, it means he doesn't reciprocate, and this will be forgotten on its own. If he wants to talk about it, you can both discuss how this has made you feel and why it is something you want to move beyond. Either way, try and take a step back and look at this objectively. As an adult, you are allowed to have romantic feelings for another adult. That adult is also entitled to feel the way he does, and his maturity will dictate how he reacts. Don't let something this minor turn into an imaginary crisis.

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