India, Oct. 1 -- When a woman has worked on slowly recreating her identity post-divorce, she would naturally be hesitant about entering another commitment. A contemporary reader located in the social and psychological landscape of red/green flags and situationships, however, wonders how fair it is for someone to want all the benefits of a relationship without stepping into one.

Susham Bedi's A New World Romance, translated from the Hindi by Astri Ghosh, recounts the story of the chance encounter of two middle-aged scholars, Ketaki and Aditya, in a city in Navabhum (New World/USA). They fall in love quickly and surprisingly but practise caution in their actions that are governed by the values instilled in them during their childhood in Pu...