Telling a guy that you like him is no big deal. Really. What's the worst that could happen? We did a little survey. Here are some responses:
"He could say no." - Vaishali, 23
"He could laugh! Imagine the shame!"- Sheila, 23
"He could introduce me to his girlfriend." - Mahima, 25
"He could hear me!" - Sapna, 22

All right, so things can go wrong. Maybe he won't respond quite like you hoped he would. Maybe he will. That's beside the point. The important thing here is to come out of the situation like a cool dudette - irrespective of the outcome.

The Build-Up
Do smile at him a lot. (Don't overdo it. It'll scare him if you grin like a moron every time he looks at you).
Do find ways of being in the same vicinity as he is, so you can start a conversation (at lunch, while you're hanging out with friends, etc).
Do ask him out. If you are afraid of how it may look, make plans in a group and insist that he come.
Do give him special attention when you guys are in a group.
Do encourage closeness. Share thoughts; debate over different ideas (it's loads of fun).
Do fun things together. Go for drives, late night desserts. Lots of friends do these things together. And if he gets the hint along the way, all the better for you!

And Now... Confess
Be straightforward. Don't beat around the bush. Tell him that:
• You really like him and recently you've been thinking of him as more than a friend.
• You aren't expecting any kind of response from him. If he likes you, that's great. If he doesn't, you're glad you told him anyway. If someone felt like this about you, you would've liked to know.
Don't be apologetic and send out a vibe of low self-esteem when you tell him.
Don't make him feel like he's some sort of God and that you're irretrievably in love with him. Love is too big a word. Don't use it before you know what it means with him.

If you are too scared or shy to tell him to his face, write him a note or even better, an email. Stay away from mushy 'I love you' letters - just a simple note telling him how you feel should be good. Make sure you give it to him in his hand (if it's a letter) or leave it somewhere that he can't miss it.

Otherwise imagine you sulking over his lack of response while the poor chap never got his hands on the damn thing. The pitfall here is the agonising wait for the response, or wondering if he's had a chance to read it... we recommend face-to-face interaction. It says a lot about your confidence. Guys like that.

And after all this, if he says he likes you, well, you certainly don't need us to tell you what happens next. Enjoy yourself, girl!