Raj's Relationships on The Big Bang Theory

Raj dated several women over the seasons but didn’t end up with anyone in the finale.

The Big Bang Theory is a super hit American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. It ran for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019 on CBS. The story revolves around the lives of four geeky and socially awkward friends- Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Rajesh played by Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar respectively. They all worked together at Caltech. Their life takes a dramatic turn when they meet Penny (Kaley Cuoco), their new neighbor.

Rajesh Koothrapalli aka Raj is one of the protagonists of the show. He is an astrophysicist who comes from a rich family background. He has a sweet, sensitive, and shy personality. In the initial seasons, Raj had selective mutism around women; he couldn't even talk to Penny without the help of alcohol. Throughout the show, he dated several women and had romantic relationships with them, overcoming his shyness and underconfidence. Here is the list of Raj’s girlfriends who played an important role in shaping his storyline.

Lucy played by Kate Micucci

Lucy was one of the girlfriends of Raj who he had a long relationship with. Her first appearance was in season 6, episode 16, titled “The Tangible Affection Proof”. They first met at a Valentine's Day’s party organized by him for all those who were single. She and Raj had similar behavior as they both had low confidence and social anxiety. At first, they bonded over their similarities, but over time, Lucy found their relationship overwhelming.

Raj tried to make their relationship work, but due to Lucy’s severe anxiety issues, she broke up with him. According to her, Raj pushed her into uncomfortable situations which made her more anxious. This relationship helped Raj understand that he should respect people’s boundaries. She appeared in 8 episodes of The Big Bang Theory from season 6 to season 10.

Emily Sweeney played by Laura Spencer

Emily Sweeney was the one who had the longest relationship with Raj. Her first appearance was in season 7, episode 17, titled “The Friendship Turbulence”. They met through a dating site and started having conversations with the help of Amy. They started dating after some time. She was a dermatologist with a dark sense of humor. Their personalities were opposite of each other. He introduced her to his friends but she didn’t make an effort to gel with his friends. They had ups and downs in their relationship.

Over time, Raj felt that they didn’t have a future together because of their differences. In season 9 he ended things with Emily. She appeared in 17 episodes of The Big Bang Theory from season 7 to season 10.

Claire played by Alessandra Torresani

Claire is one of the notable characters in the show. Her first appearance was in season 9, episode 14, titled “The Meemaw Materialization”. She was a screenwriter and bartender. She first met Raj at the comic book store, where she had come for some inspiration for her writing. She asks Raj to help her out with her sci-fi screenplay because of his expertise and gives him her number. They started as friends but Raj had feelings for her.

Their relationship didn’t work because Raj was not sure about his feelings. He was confused between Emily and Claire, as he had feelings for both of them. This situation made Claire lose interest in him. Their relationship was short-lived. She appeared in 5 episodes of The Big Bang Theory from season 9 to season 10.

Anu played by Rati Gupta

Anu was the last interest of Raj on The Big Bang Theory. Her first appearance was in season 12, episode 3, titled “The Procreation Calculation”. Anu was a hotel concierge with a confident and ambitious personality. They met each other through the arranged marriage setup. Anu proposed to Raj on their first meeting and Raj accepted the proposal and they got engaged. They both got along well because of their similar background.

Raj felt that their relationship was getting rushed and called off the wedding. They decide to restart their relationship by dating each other. But things didn’t work out for them as Anu accepted a job position in London. Raj let her go because he realized that they had nothing in common. She appeared in 9 episodes of season 12.

In The Big Bang Theory’s finale, Raj didn’t end up with anyone. He was the only one in the main cast who remained single.

Read More: Who does Sheldon Cooper marry in The Big Bang Theory