RED FLAGS AND RISHTAS BY RADHIKA AGRWAL

She’s the queen of dating apps. He believes in arranged marriages.

With an impressive score of 153 dates, Ananya Kapoor is a bit of an expert on online dating. She has seen them all—the nice guys, the fuckbois, and everything in between. In her vigorous quest for her S.O., she has pretty much exhausted the pool of eligible singles in Delhi. That is, until a series of ridiculously hilarious events brings her under the same roof as Aadar Chauhan.

At the opposite end of the Indian dating spectrum, Aadar is not who she expects him to be. He is progressive, confident, and annoyingly attractive. Faced with a belief system starkly different from her own, she feels the need to prove herself more desirable than a man like him. And so, one night, she makes a bet with him to see who can find a partner first. Can she beat him to the finish line?

A delightfully told story of romance, friendship, and unending banter, with one question looming large: Who is destined for a happily ever after—the serial dater or the serial suitor?

I've had this book on my shelf for a month because, while I'm open to reading romance, I wouldn't say I completely understand the Gen Z dating mindset in general. As a result, I have never read a proper rom-com before, especially the ones that incorporate Gen Z culture and lingo, so I was a bit hesitant to dive into this novel, fearing I might not fully appreciate its unique style and humor.

But fortunately, that wasn't the case with this story, as it was a pretty charming and witty tale centered around the female lead's perspective.

Ananya works in the events department of a men's magazine called 'The Man Journal'. While on the professional front she is a diligent employee, her personal interests include serial dating on Tinder. Aadhar on the other hand, is the senior marketing manager of a liquor brand called 'The Stellar Spirit', who wants to find a life partner through arrange marriage setup to settle down and start a family.

They have the most hilarious (and awkward) first encounter that leads them on a competitive path as they make a bet on who can find a partner first. Ananya's relationship with her best friend Vrinda, or 'V', is very wholesome, though it's not always smooth sailing. Their friendship is a platonic love story in its own right, complete with its own dramatic stakes. The story also critiques the flawed and outdated arranged marriage setup through the contrasting views of Aanya and Aadhar as they fall in love.

There are a lot of fun cliches we encounter and sometimes even deliberately look for in romance novels when we get an itch to watch a swoonworthy love story with silliness, and Agrwal skillfully incorporates those tropes through some witty lampshading that often begins with 'If my life was a rom-com....' throughout the novel.

This novel has been promoted as a rom-com, but I'd argue that the 'com' or comedy is what steals my heart. The dialogues are absolutely hilarious with Aadhar and Ananya's banter, and their work life is equally intriguing as Agrwal explores the world of fashion journalism through Ananya's perspective. The narrative is fast-paced with well-developed characters and their unique personalities. The climax has some unexpected twists and turns, but it ties all emotional beats and the plot threads in a neat little bow.

As someone who's exploring this genre for the first time, this was an enjoyable experience for me even though I kind of enjoyed Ananya's personal journey more than the main romance. Still, I'd like to recommend this novel to beginners and avid rom-com readers alike. Plus I really hope this story gets a movie adaptation as it really captures the essence of the late 2000's and early 2010's Bollywood rom-coms. Witty, charming and wholesome, I'd like to give this story 3.5/5 rating.