India, June 7 -- A man spends Rs 370 on biryani for a woman. Afterward, when the lady asks him to take her home, he quips that he still needs to "recover" his money from her. The crowd roars with laughter. Indian stand-up comedian Pranit More calls it "peak Gurgaon content". On the surface, it looks just like another ordinary dating joke. But upon deeper reflection, one can't help but ask themselves this question: what is it that is making people laugh here?

What isn't funny about this joke is the suggestion that since the man paid for something, he deserves something back from her. It's not asking for a share of the payment or fuel cost, but something much darker than that.

The Transactional View of Dating

The notion that dates should...