Even if I were to take the sum total of all the dates I have ever been on, I still fail to come up with a single consistent answer.

• There have been times when I have insisted that I be allowed to pay, being the guy with the chivalry and charm, and used it to get the lady to oblige. This was mostly during my undergrad college days.
• There have been times when we have split the bills evenly, just for the fun of it. And when I say evenly, I mean literally divided by two. To the last rupee.
• There have also been times when I let the lady pay. This was mostly during my days of unemployment, and she was the one with the means. I would oblige with the promise that the day I get a job, I am going to return the favour as a treat.

I don’t think it really matters in today’s society. It depends more on the mood of the hour. Personally, I would either prefer to pay full or go Dutch. The gentleman in me would never allow me to let the lady pay full, if I could avoid it.

P.S. I owe Shilpamma 4 dates.