If it wasn't for Stuart, the most unlucky in love guy on The Big Bang Theory would have been Rajesh Koothrappali, aka Raj. Nothing ever quite seemed to go his way, no matter how many times he tried to find the right woman for him.
That being said, Raj came a long way from the early days of the series when he literally couldn't speak to women whatsoever. In season nine, Raj attempted to have a relationship with a screenwriter and bartender named Claire. As fans had come to expect from him, the whole thing fell apart, and they split up, but this breakup was telegraphed in more than a few ways.
It Began As A Work Collaboration
When Claire met Raj, she was working on a screenplay that was heavily scientific in nature. While she might have been a talented writer, she didn't really know much about the field it covered and found Raj to be a good collaborator.
Despite the fact that Raj immediately fell for her, as he did with every woman he met, Claire was not interested in him at all. It's hard to say what caused her to change her mind, but she honestly never really seemed that interested.
Claire Didn't Like How Raj Treated Emily
There was a point that Raj was dating a young woman named Emily. Of all the women Raj dated once he was able to speak to them, Emily was possibly one of the better matches for him; she was at least tolerant of his idiosyncrasies.
Claire was around for the last portion of Raj and Emily's relationship and got to see how poorly he treated her. From Claire's perspective, that was probably a sad window into what Raj would be like to date. That must have been in the back of her mind while they went out.
A Creative Type And A Scientist
When it comes to dating, the old axiom is that opposites attract. Paula Abdul and MC Scat Cat, the greatest rapper of all time, have an entire song about it. Keeping that in mind, opposites aren't always good matches.
Raj was a career scientist while Claire was a career creative type. The issue wasn't just differences in their jobs; they had completely different ways of looking at the world, which was an issue at times.
She Had A Quick, Incisive Wit
The thing about Raj was that he was an extremely sensitive guy, and sensitivity is something that can be a really good trait in a significant other. That being said, Raj was extremely oversensitive, something Howard complained about constantly.
This would definitely have caused issues with Raj and Claire in the long term. She was a funny person with a brutally sharp wit. While some people definitely love that in a partner, Raj would have just been broken down by it, as he didn't take jokes about him well.
Claire Spoke Her Mind
Taking that a step further, Claire also had no issues with telling people exactly what she thought and what she felt about them, and that didn't matter if those thoughts and feelings were positive or negative.
In reality, this trait can be extremely healthy in a long-term relationship... well, unless Raj is part of said relationship. He definitively could not handle people telling him what they really thought of him, something that was doubly true from his girlfriends.
Other Men Were Definitely Interested
When Raj first met Claire, she was already in a relationship. Frankly, so was he. As was often the case with Raj, that didn't stop him from having feelings for Claire despite the fact that neither of them was even available.
But, there were other men who were interested in Claire, as well. After she and Raj broke up, Claire found herself in a much healthier relationship with another man. Raj was never going to be "Mister Right" for her, especially with other options on the table.
He Was A Rebound Guy
Eventually, Claire broke up with the guy she was dating when she first met Raj, and, by that point, Raj had already laid the groundwork for their relationship despite the fact that he was still in a relationship with Emily.
The problem was that Raj was the rebound guy for her, and that's rarely a good way to start a relationship, whether it's on a sitcom or in the real world—but that definitely didn't bode well for them as a couple.
Goes Back To Emily Over Claire
The crazy part about this situation was that there was a point where Raj had to make a choice between Claire and Emily. Seeing Raj having two women to choose between was an unfamiliar position for most fans.
But, Raj put Emily before Claire, going back to his former girlfriend instead of building a relationship with a new one. There's nothing wrong with that, though not putting her first should have been a huge red flag to Claire.
Tried To Date Emily And Claire At The Same Time
Eventually, Raj was in a shocking position for him. He was actually seeing both Emily and Claire at the same time, something neither woman was particularly happy about and rightfully so.
Keep in mind that this is a man who only a few years earlier was actually unable to talk to women. Suddenly, he was dating two at once. Regardless, this was yet another sign that Claire was not a priority to him.
Honestly, It's Just Raj
In the end, both Claire and Emily stopped dating Raj, which came as a shock to absolutely no one. Trying to date two women at the same time who were not interested in participating in such a scenario was a horribly bad idea.
Despite being an active member of the dating scene at that point, Raj was still Raj. He fell in love with basically every woman he met and was always the most interested in whichever woman was the most recent addition to his life. His relationship with Claire never stood a chance.