Propose Day 2022: Not interested! Creative ways to say ‘No’ to a marriage proposal

Propose Day 2022: It is said that one should follow their gut instinct before taking a major decision and when it comes to choosing a life partner the time-tested maxim is even more relevant.

It’s however, not easy to call off a relationship and tell the other partner why you can’t see a future with them. There is always a risk of the other side not taking the same in right spirit and holding the grudge forever.

The correct approach is to tread ahead with caution when the person wishing to be your better half cannot wait to hear a ‘Yes’ from you, while you have some other plans. You may want to take a diplomatic approach rather than saying the complete truth brutally in case the person proposing marriage to you is sensitive.

“Always appreciate the person for the good things. You can tell the other person why “you are not the right match” instead of “you do not fit what I am looking for”. Always share a transparent view of what’s happening so that other person takes it in the right way,” says Pawan Gupta, CEO, Betterhalf.ai.

While having a heart-to-heart conversation with your partner would work in most of the cases, in some cases if the other person is showing tendencies of being an obsessive lover or a stalker, you might have to upgrade your creativity level a few notches up depending on the kind of a person you are dealing with.

Ahead of Valentine’s Day 2022, here are all the ways you can convince your partner to end the relationship.

1 I am not qualified to be a great partner

You may share a great bond with a person, but not see yourself being married to them. In such a scenario, you can turn down the marriage proposal in a respectful way and tell the person that they deserve better.

“You can tell them – With me, I don’t see a bright future for you. Since I loved you so much, I don’t want you to be with someone who’s not at par with you in terms of knowledge, skills and kindness. Maybe we like each other now but in two-three years down the line, you may feel cheated and you may curse your life. Since I love you so much I don’t want you to see those days. So it’s the right time to call off this thing. It has been a memorable experience which I will cherish forever and we will remain good friends,” says Nirmal Kumar, a marketing professional.

2 You will thank your stars later that I said no

It is better to take most of the blame on yourself considering it is you who’s rejecting someone and the other person is bound to feel hurt.

“Though there is no easy way to say no, one can make it easier by taking the light-hearted route for a change. I recall how a friend rejected a proposal saying – ‘I am sure this feels bad right now, but you have no idea how lucky you are. Years later you will thank your stars that I said no’. Believe me, it took the sting out of the rejection. Sometimes, wit is the best recourse,” says Amrita Sharma, author of the book “What Did I Ever See in Him”.

3 I will marry you but we will have an open marriage

If the person is very insistent and all you logical efforts to convince him/her of your decision have gone in vain, you could probably dissuade them by saying you are not exactly planning to remain loyal in a marriage, says Sonal Gera, a media professional.

4 I’m a Modi bhakt and will follow in his footsteps

“You can tell the person that you do not wish to get married at all as you are a ‘Modi bhakt’ and since he remained unmarried (kind of). You too will,” adds Gera.

5 I’m into BDSM

“Say you are into BDSM (kinky, but will work). If this doesn’t work, ghost the person. That’s not creative but very effective,” suggests Gera.

6 Throw a tantrum

“Explore the person by dating for a long time and if you feel you aren’t compatible then some issues can be created by throwing a tantrum. Make sure they break up with you, instead of you saying ‘No’. Be as crazy as possible,” says Pawan Gupta, CEO, Betterhalf.ai.

7 Say ‘maybe’ and cut ties eventually

“Don’t say no directly, just beat around the bush by saying ‘maybe’ or asking for some more time to get back,” adds Gupta.

8 Find them another partner

“Just fix the other person with any one of your friend and get out of the awkward situation of saying NO,” says the relationship expert.

9 Do something which your partner hates

“Just show up some unreasonable demand like having a pet (if you know other people won’t agree), or shifting to a location which the person hates etc,” suggests Gupta.

10 Hint that you are a serial killer

Last but not the least, if you are unable to convince them verbally, send out a clear non-verbal message to them by scaring them off with your watch list.

“Say yes and start watching documentary of a serial killer,” suggests Sonal Gera.