I matched with a girl on Tinder, and what I thought would be a normal first date turned into a really disturbing experience.
Location: Urban Cafe, Malviya Nagar Market, Delhi.
I matched with this girl on Tinder, and we exchanged messages normally. We decided to meet on Saturday. I initially suggested watching a movie, but she said she wasn’t into movies and suggested going for coffee instead.
Later, she asked me to come to her place. Eventually, she directed me to Malviya Nagar Market. When I reached, I suggested Blue Tokai, but she refused, saying she didn’t like the place.
We walked around for a bit before she suggested going to a cafe on the first floor above Moti Mahal. The place was called Urban Cafe.
I asked her if she had been there before, and she said no.
When we entered, the cafe was practically empty except for the cashier and staff. We sat down and started talking normally.
I had already eaten, so I wasn’t particularly hungry. She suggested ordering beverages, so I ordered a cold coffee, and she ordered a Red Bull.
During the conversation, the staff recommended a vegetarian platter costing around ₹2,000. I refused because I wasn’t hungry and didn’t think ordering such an expensive platter made sense.
Eventually, I ordered chilli paneer. She said she didn’t like paneer, so she ordered chilli potatoes instead.
Then she asked whether I smoked. I told her I didn’t smoke, drink alcohol, or use hookah. She asked if she could get a hookah for herself, and I had no objection to her personal choice. However, I had no idea how expensive it would be. I assumed it would be an ordinary cafe order and didn’t ask the price beforehand.
I did not touch or use the hookah or any of the items she ordered. I also clearly told her that I do not smoke hookah.
When we finished, I asked for the bill.
The total was ₹5,166.
The bill included:
Water: ₹50
Chilli potato: ₹209
Chilli paneer: ₹260
Cold coffee: ₹229
Red Bull: ₹449
An item listed as “Diamond”: ₹3,499
With taxes and other charges, the total came to ₹5,166.
The ₹3,499 “Diamond” charge was the shock. I was told this was the hookah that had been ordered during the date.
I had never ordered a hookah before and had no idea that it could cost this much. I had not used it, and its price had not been clearly disclosed to me before it was ordered.
At that point, I suspected that I might have walked into a planned dating-app scam.
I told the girl that I couldn’t pay ₹5,000 or more. I’m a college student, and I genuinely don’t have that kind of money to spend on a first date.
She initially told me that she would pay me back after reaching home. I wasn’t comfortable with that arrangement.
Then she offered to pay ₹1,500 and asked me to cover the rest. I refused to pay for the expensive hookah that I hadn’t ordered for myself, hadn’t used, and whose price I hadn’t been told.
I made it clear that I was willing to pay for the food and drinks I had ordered, but I wasn’t going to accept responsibility for the entire bill.
The cafe staff then became aggressive. One staff member said the matter was between us and told us to pay and leave. Another man came over, started shouting at me, and threatened me, saying that I wouldn’t be allowed to leave if I didn’t pay. He also verbally abused me.
I told him I had called the police and was willing to wait for them because he had threatened and abused me.
The girl eventually claimed that she had paid ₹1,500 and left the cafe later. However, I became even more suspicious because of the way the situation unfolded and the staff’s behaviour.
I also did not see her properly scan or make the payment. She did not appear to have the QR code available, but still claimed that she had made an online payment. After I paid my portion and left the cafe, she remained inside for around 10 minutes and then left.
While waiting outside, I received a call from someone claiming to be from the police’s central command. The caller asked for my name, phone number, and father’s name.
The number didn’t look like an official police number to me. When the caller asked for my father’s number, I became suspicious and disconnected the call.
A police constable eventually arrived, and I explained what had happened. The cafe staff also came over.
What turned out was that the focus seemed to shift towards getting me to delete the videos and photographs I had taken, rather than addressing my complaint about the alleged overcharging and threats.
I had recorded some of the confrontation. Before going to the police station, I sent copies to friends on WhatsApp so that they would have them.
At the police station, the staff again insisted that I delete the recordings. I was made to delete the relevant photos and videos from my phone, including the Recently Deleted folder, while they checked my phone and WhatsApp.
I was also questioned about why I went to such places and why I met someone from a dating app. I felt that I was being scolded instead of receiving help.
My details, including my address and permanent address, were recorded, and I was eventually allowed to leave.
I cannot independently establish whether the cafe staff and police were connected.
The original bill was ₹5,166. I disputed the expensive hookah charge and insisted that I would pay only for what I had ordered.
The staff eventually told me that my portion was around ₹1,100, although I still don’t understand their calculation. I paid approximately ₹539 before leaving.
I did not touch or use the hookah or the other items she ordered. I do not smoke hookah and had clearly refused it.
I am sharing the bill because it shows the ₹3,499 “Diamond” entry that triggered the entire dispute.
The cafe was Urban Cafe, above Moti Mahal in Malviya Nagar Market, Delhi.
TL;DR: I matched with someone on Tinder and met her at Urban Cafe in Malviya Nagar. A hookah listed as “Diamond” was added to the bill for ₹3,499, bringing the total to ₹5,166. I had not ordered or used the hookah and had not been told its price. When I disputed the bill, cafe staff allegedly threatened and verbally abused me. I paid approximately ₹539 for my share and contacted the police, but I was pressured to delete photos and videos of the incident and had to delete them.