The Student Room Group

How do I deal with a pushy neighbor?

My (F23) neighbor (M20ish) started messaging me when I replied to his complaints about some Wi-Fi issues we were both having in the dorm group chat. Initially we texted maybe once a month to discuss practical things since we were about to move into the same new student housing.

He is a South Asian exchange student and from what he told me they enjoy making food for each other and cooking together, and he told me he wanted to make me something too. I liked the idea and also brought him some homemade cookies, thinking it would just be a nice welcome gesture between neighbors and that it would stop at that. However, the day we met for the first time in real life I had a really bad headache, but he insisted on making me tea and some snacks. So I just waited for him to make the food and took it to my room. It was not an excuse on my part but I will admit that I was glad I had one reason not to stay since his insistence made me really uncomfortable. I am a very small girl, my boyfriend and my family are not in near proximity, so I am very careful about the people I let into my apartment and I certainly do not want to be alone with an unknown guy in his room. However, I did not think too much of it other than that it was a bit awkward until he repeatedly knocked on my door a few hours later (it was about 8 pm) because he wanted to give me a massage gun for my headache. I did not ask him for it and he did not ask me if I needed it before coming. That really creeped me out. I think it is a very intimate gesture, and definitely too intimate between a man and a woman who barely know each other. I usually shower at 8 pm, I also just want to relax (I am extremely introverted) and I do not want to randomly have to open the door to some guy without a bra or with a towel on. I did not open, texted him thanks but no thanks, it will not do anything for me since it is a hormonal headache.

Since that day, he has been (double) texting me everyday, calling me and sending me question marks if I do not respond, asking me where I am and when I am coming back from my hometown because he wants to hangout and give me some more food (which I politely declined), sending me clips and pictures and trying to keep up conversations I have zero interest in. I asked a guy friend and he thinks he is a creep and that he wants more than friendship, but honestly even if he did, he knows I have a boyfriend and I find him extremely annoying so I really wonder how he thinks this is going to make me fall for him. I feel like he violates my privacy and I am afraid when I see him in the dorm building.

I told him to rather text me if he wants something because I do not respond when people just knock on my door, because I cannot see who it is behind it. I keep replying less and less frequently and with less and less enthusiasm. But other than that, what can I do if he does not get the message?

Do you honestly think I am exaggerating or should I trust my gut feeling that he is weird? Ideally, I would like to get the opinion of other South Asians on whether it is just a cultural difference and whether I should be afraid of him or not. Please tell me how I should directly tell him I am not interested in a friendship with him without upsetting him if he keeps pushing - I would much rather have an annoying creepy neighbor than a mad creepy one.
(edited 5 months ago)

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