Red Flags And Rishtas: Radhika Agrawal Brings Modern Twist To A Desi Rom Com

Meet Ananya Kapoor, a seasoned expert in online dating with an impressive record of 153 dates. She’s seen it all—nice guys, not-so-nice guys, and everything in between. But her quest for a soulmate takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with Aadar Chauhan. Aadar is progressive, confident, and annoyingly attractive, but he’s also rooted in a belief system worlds apart from hers. What starts as a battle of ideologies turns into a playful bet: who can find their perfect match first?

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Delhi, this delightfully told story brims with romance, friendship, and laugh-out-loud banter. It leaves readers with one big question: in a world of modern dating and traditional rishtas, who is destined for happily ever after—the serial dater or the serial suitor?

Here's an excerpt from Red Flags and Rishtas: A Desi Rom Com by Radhika Agrawal

‘But, the whole system is so regressive,’ I said, getting back to the subject. ‘I mean, how can you gallivant all your life and then look for a virgin bahu when you turn twenty-eight? It’s ridiculous.’ 

He raised his hand, gesturing to a waiter who was serving drinks. It turned out to be Jerry. He greeted us warmly, happy to see the two people he knew at this party, together. He replaced our glasses with two fresh whisky-waters and left.  

‘But I’m not looking for a virgin bahu,’ he said, clinking his glass with mine. ‘I’d like a virgin patni.’  

He laughed at his own joke and I shook my head. 

I clicked my tongue when I spoke. ‘You know what I mean. There are so many other hypocritical things. And don’t even get me started on the religion, caste and class  filters.’ He nodded, tapping his hands on the clothed table.  

‘Yeah, but it doesn’t have to be like that. A system is what you make of it. I’m looking for a girl to settle down with. I don’t care about her past, her background and all of that,’ he argued.  

‘Hmm,’ I said, trying to bite my tongue.  

No part of me believed that he was as liberal in his matchmaking ventures as he was making it sound. Even if he didn’t have the typical arranged marriage filters in place, his parents would. I could bet my life on the fact that a Muslim girl would never seep through that protective net. But it felt like we were getting along,  and I had to keep up my agreeable act if I wanted this night to go in my favour. So even though it physically pained me not to argue with him on the matter, I decided to let it go.  

‘So how many women have you seen?’ I asked.  

‘Like biodatas or in person?’  

‘The latter.’ He shifted his weight from one leg to another, and I snuck a glance at my phone. It was five past midnight, and people were beginning to leave. The room felt emptier than before, and the music had mellowed down too. Apart from Rajat and another intern from the office, I couldn’t spot any lurking coworkers. 

‘I haven’t really kept count,’ he said, shrugging. 

‘Give me a ballpark figure.’ 

‘I don’t know. Twenty? Thirty, maybe.’ 

That, for some reason, cracked me up. A loud

erupted out of me, and I felt a few eyes on me from around the room. Aadar waited for me to stop laughing, unimpressed.  

‘I just realised what you are,’ I said, trying to stifle another laugh.  

‘What?’  

‘A serial suitor,’ I said and burst out laughing again. His amusement at me was laced with a speck of annoyance. 

‘All right, I think you’ve had enough,’ he said, eyeing my half-empty whisky glass. I protested half-heartedly, but I knew he was right.  

I wasn’t drunk, but I was well on my way. Besides, it looked like the party was more or less over. I followed him outside, waving goodbye to Ryan, who was speaking to a transportation guy in the back. A part of me felt bad that he’d have to be here for hours, winding up. But this was his job, and I’d done it enough times to know there was no way around it.  

‘How are you getting home?’ he asked when we stepped outside.  

‘I’ll call a cab,’ I said.  

‘I’ll drop you off,’ he said, handing the valet his parking ticket.  

‘You don’t have to do that. I’m fine,’ I said at the precise moment as I stumbled on a stone.  

He chuckled and mumbled under his breath, ‘Clearly.’ 

I puffed my mouth, ready to strike back with verbal vengeance. But the soberer part of my brain reminded me of what was on the line here. Today was not the right day to pick a fight with this man. And if he wanted to drop me home, I was going to let him. I’d spent the greater part of the evening with him. Surely, I could tolerate him for a little while longer. Right? Besides, if he was so keen to look out for me today, chances were he’d help me out on Monday too, when I tell him and his team about the Kiara debacle.  

‘So, Mr Serial Suitor.’ I couldn’t help saying once we were sitting inside his red Kia.  

‘Don’t start,’ he said as he pulled out of the street.  

‘I’m just curious. What’s the rush? Like why not just wait for the right person to come along?’ I asked.  

‘Like you’re doing? With your incessant dating?’ 

‘I know you’re trying to spin this around on me, but I’m pretty happy with the way things are in my love life.’ 

‘Really?’ He stole a look at me and said, ‘So you’re not looking for love?’ 
 
‘I am.’ I admitted. ‘But I’m not actively doing it.’ 

‘One date a week, I’d say that’s pretty active.’ He chuckled.  

I crossed my arms, turning sideways so I could face him properly. ‘Are you saying there’s something wrong with me? That’s why I haven’t found someone?’  

‘Either that, or with all 150 of the guys you’ve gone on dates with. Probability is not in your favour,’ he said.  
The tension in the car was heightening, and as much as I wanted to undo it, there was no going back. I was in too  deep, and my pride wouldn’t let me back down.  

‘Oh, shut up. You’re one to talk.’ I exclaimed. ‘Like you haven’t rejected your fair share of prospects. And this  is when your parents already vetted them for you.’ 

‘That’s right. I rejected them. Not the other way around.’ 

‘Well, I rejected you when you came to see me. So maybe the others did too.’  

He let out a dry, sarcastic laugh and said, ‘I’m a catch.’ 

‘Why’s no one catching you, then?’ I demanded. 

‘Well, I’ll get caught before you do,’ he said, pulling into the lane my apartment building was on.  

It struck me that he’d driven all this way without asking for directions. He must be one of those people who remembered addresses even if they’d just visited once.  

‘You wanna bet on that?’ I asked as we waited for the security guard to open the gate for the car.  

‘Yeah, why not?’ 

‘Uh-oh,’ I said, letting out a wicked laugh, feeling my competitive spirit kick in. He parked outside my building and shut off the engine. Then, he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face me.  

‘So, what are you proposing?’ He had his game face on.  

I knew I should’ve laughed the whole thing off. I should’ve thanked him for the ride, said goodnight and  gone home. Instead, I chose to wind myself up in the  biggest lurch I would face in my entire life.  

‘Let’s see who can find someone first. And if you get  yourself a wife before I can find a boyfriend, you win.’ 

I half expected him to laugh in my face – to call me crazy and drive away. But he didn’t. Instead, he held my gaze, his jaw tightening as he mulled over what I’d said.  

‘What does the winner get?’ he finally asked. 

‘The satisfaction of being the bigger catch?’ I said, in a tone that suggested I was pointing out the obvious.  

An irritating smirk lit up his face as he said, ‘You’re on.’ 

Extracted with permission from Radhika Agrawal's Red Flags and Rishtas: A Desi Rom Com; published by Bloomsbury Publishing India.