Yes we know real hunks (on the inside and the outside) are hard to find. Just follow these tips from Sheila Kumar to recognise one worth keeping:

Let us let you in on some insider information: You find gorgeous men almost everywhere - aquiline profiles, great cars, interesting careers and all that jazz. The trick is to find out if they are keepworthy in the long run. And if they are, well, what are you waiting for, girl? Get to it, pronto!

So, how do you know if the men you meet are ‘keepworthy types’ — henceforth to be known as KTs? Well, check them out against these pointers...

His lips seem to have a permanent laugh curve to them.
This means the man has a sense of humour and that is one big asset, we promise you. Of course, one doesn’t mean an imbecilic smile permanently pasted on, but come on now, surely you can distinguish between the two?

He passes the flowers test
It’s simple; you give him a small but bright bouquet of flowers (freesias, roses, dahlias) one day. If he flinches, laughs nervously and looks frantically for the nearest bin, he’s not a KT. If he can grin and say, “Hey, this means you love me, right?” well, you don’t have to answer that one right then, but be assured he’s a cool dude.

He fights by Queensberry rules
Which means, he doesn’t fight dirty, slinging unnecessary references to your mother, brother, dirty clothes hamper and your dog. He keeps the argument to the issue at hand, refuses all baits to enlarge the scope of the row, and when you do slip below the belt, looks pained but does not reciprocate. This man’s a decent feller, girls!

He can really talk to you, with you, not at you
This one’s a time-tested one, which most men flinch from. It’s true however: If a man really listens to you, looks into your eyes when the two of you are connecting, and in turn, tells you things, this man’s not just a great guy, he’s on his way to sainthood. Lock him up and throw away the key!

He lets you close
Men of mystery are just not worth it; 10 to one, they have something to hide and it will not be savoury. It could well be charges of embezzlement (settled out of court, but still!), a clinging ex-wife, or horrors, a current wife stashed away in Raipur. Then again, no man is an open book. But if he’s an absorbing, even enthralling read with no undertow, he’s a KT, all right!

He loses control — in bed, sometimes out of it
What sort of control are we talking about? Basically, a slipping of the urbane mask, a flash of utter passion, an unexpected PDA (public demo of affection), even a verbal staking out in front of his buddies. Woman, this is your man.

He passes the Bela test
Bela is, of course, your best friend from nursery school and she just can’t help that she’s most men’s fantasy on two legs.

Well, if your man can meet Bela with warmth, friendliness and without breaking out into a sweat, he’s passed the test. Ask him about her later; if he says, “She’s lovely, but you are something else,” relax. If he denies having noticed her stun-‘em looks, mmmm.

He can give and take criticism equably
Both are vital qualities. If, when you point out that but for the habit of slurping his soup, he’s a dish and he can grin and say, “Okay, I’ll fix that,” he’s okay. When he tells you that your habit of chewing your hair when nervous is not particularly endearing, and you don’t feel enraged, small or threatened, he’s okay.

He rides the merry-go-round better than the giant wheel
We mean, he stays pretty much the same most of the time without subjecting you to agonies of nervousness about whether you’ll be facing Dr Jekyll Puri or Mr Hyder Ali that day. Granted, the temperamental ones are exciting, but the freefall is just not worth it.

He’s aurally generous
We don’t mean all those flowers, gifts and spins in the outtasight car. We mean generous with his praise of you, your figure, your legs, your smile, your eyes, your effervescence, and your clothes. Whoever said a woman doesn’t need to bask eternally in the glow of praise needs to get his head examined. We women know better, right?

He makes the effort to fit in
With your family (even your cantankerous ‘dadima’) and friends (even wacky Raj who you suspect he does not really like but merely tolerates for your sake). You area smart girl and will easily figure out if the effort is genuine. If it is, reward this KT, OK?

If he’s a great kisser
Or G-I-B. And if you need to know what that last one means, then you need to go out more girl, before casting your net for a KT!

GOT COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? E-MAIL US AT femina@timesgroup.com WITH ‘men & women — KEEP HIM!’ IN THE SUBJECT LINE