Anahita Karthik’s whirlwind road trip romance is a love letter to India
Her debut novel, "Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar," follows a young bisexual woman across India in pursuit of her first kiss
Anahita Karthik's debut book, "Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar," is a a bi-for-bi teen rom-com set in India.
Photo by Pratyush Sinha
Words by Aleenah Ansari
Sometimes, love will take you places. For instance, you might find yourself on a road trip across India to crash a wedding, reach your summertime crush, and have your first kiss. That’s exactly what happens to the titular character of Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar, a bi-for-bi teen rom-com set in India that’s a cross between the Netflix series Never Have I Ever (2020) and the Bollywood rom-com Jab We Met (2007). Along the way, Krishna is trying not to fall in love with the person driving her there, Rudra, and rekindle her friendship with her cousin Priti, who’s along for the ride.
I sat down with author Anahita Karthik to learn more about how her debut book—which comes out Tuesday—is a love letter to India, what it means to her to write a bi-for-bi teen romance, and what it means to be “enough” of the identities you hold.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Aleenah Ansari: I’m so excited that your debut romance book is coming out soon! Can you share a little bit about the premise?
Anahita Karthik: This book is told from the perspective of Krishna, who’s spending her last summer in India before college. She has a crush on Amrit, whom she met that summer, and she narrowly misses out on having her first kiss because her flight is the next day, and he’s going to a wedding in Goa. When her flight gets canceled, she decides to take a road trip across India to the wedding to meet Amrit and get her perfect kiss. She’s accompanied by her cousin Priti and her cousin’s best friend Rudra, who’s the owner of the car. Along the way, Krishna starts to develop a crush on Rudra, which jeopardizes her plan and her idea of what a perfect summer romance should look like.
AA: In this book, all your characters are going through big feelings related to having a crush, being in their first relationships, and figuring out who they are since they’re on the cusp of adulthood. How did you create space for characters to feel their feelings?
AK: I think that’s something really beautiful about young adults—they are viewing the world through a different lens. I started writing books for teens when I was a teen myself, and I got my agent when I was 20. I think we need to give more credit to teens and their capability to perceive the world, have deep empathy, and understand big emotions, and all of this leads them to become the people they are. In Krishna’s case, this book is about her first experiences. When you’ve dated and gone through adulthood, you miss that “first love” sort of feeling, and this book is for people who want to feel that feeling again.
"Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar" follows Krishna, who's on a road trip across India to crash a wedding.
Courtesy of Anahita Karthik
AA: What do you enjoy about romance books as a genre?
AK: I primarily read romance books, and I love that they offer a sense of escapism. It’s comforting to know that in spite of what they go through, the characters are going to end up together and have a happy ending.
AA: Why was it important to you to write a romance that centers on bi Desi characters?
AK: I think there’s a shortage of bisexual Desi characters that are out and proud. Krishna was a character where I could channel the representation I needed as a kid and as someone who’s Indian and bi.
There’s a misconception that bi people might not feel bi “enough” if they’ve never been with someone of the opposite gender. I wanted to validate that people are bi enough, regardless of who they date. Being bi is something that Krishna and Rudra connect over, and it helps them grow closer.
AA: In what ways is this book a love letter to India, the place you call home, in everything from the food and places, to the fact that many of the characters speak Gujarati, Hindi, and Marathi to each other?
AK: I felt there weren’t enough books that focus on the beautiful parts of India and how culturally rich it is. One of the main reasons I love writing road trip romances in India is that I get to highlight street food and the chai that you can get at roadside dhabas, or stalls. I also wanted to incorporate the places I love traveling to, which is why the route starts in Mumbai and ends in Goa, a common day trip destination for youth from Mumbai.
This book highlights familial relationships, like the closeness between cousins, which is why it’s not rare to find yourself on a trip with your cousin’s cousins. I also had the chance to showcase the beauty of Indian weddings, which readers see at the very end.
AA: In this book, Krishna explores the idea of what home is, whether it’s a place that you live or somewhere that you can come back to with a sense of fondness and familiarity.
AK: Your country is a part of you, whether you’re physically there or not. In Krishna’s case, she was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. when she was 10. So she’s questioning what home means to her anymore. I felt this way when studying in the U.K. It felt foreign and familiar, and it made me wonder if I was Indian enough. There are so many diasporic communities living abroad, and you carry a piece of home with you everywhere you go.
AA: Part of this book explores what it means to be “enough” of the identities you hold, whether it’s being Indian or queer enough. How do you, and your characters, explore these questions?
AK: I was born and brought up in India, but I’m Tamil. Because I was brought up outside of Tamil Nadu, I never feel fully Tamil because I connect more with people from other areas like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. All of that doesn’t take away from the fact that I’m Tamil because it’s something that’s always a part of me.
There’s a conversation where Priti tells Krishna that wearing a saree to prom doesn’t give her brownie points. I don’t think it really matters when you start accepting your identity. I think of Lara Raj from KATSEYE wearing a bindi or jhumkas with all her outfits, which is one of the many ways that she embraces her culture. I wanted to make sure that Krishna knows that she’s always going to be enough, even if she doesn’t feel that way all the time.
AA: What do you want readers to notice as they go through this book?
AK: I want readers to feel like they’re immersed enough in the road trip that they find themselves wanting to do it in real life, and tasting all the food that they have along the way. I also want readers to root for Rudra and Krishna to kiss because I dragged that out.
Published on January 21, 2026
Words by Aleenah Ansari
Aleenah Ansari (she/her) is equal parts storyteller, creative problem solver, and journalist at heart who's rooted in the stories of people behind products, companies, and initiatives. She’s written about travel, entrepreneurship, mental health and wellness, and representation in media for Insider, CNBC, The Seattle Times, Kulfi, and more. You can usually find her searching for murals in Seattle and beyond, reading a book by a BIPOC author, and planning her next trip to New York. Learn more at www.aleenahansari.com.