Even the closed bedroom door couldn’t hide the shrill doorbell. I woke up and turned on my mobile to see the time. It was very early. We had been new to the place and visits from the usual newsboy or milkman or maid or washerman had not yet been formalized. Who could he be? I got up and walked lazily towards the door. I was happy that my wife was still sleeping peacefully. I closed the bedroom door behind me, and as I did so, the shrill doorbell caught my attention. That outsider had to be an impatient customer.

I opened the front door and was surprised to find our landlord right in front of me. His short, lean figure was upright; His long face with a hair-thin mustache showed unmistakable signs of agitation and his eyes, still swollen from sleep, burned.

“Good morning!…” I began in the usual way.

She completely ignored him, “This has never happened in my house! How is this possible?”

“What happened…?”

“I just can’t imagine! Preposterous… crazy…!” He paused for effect, shaking his head in all possible directions.

“Hello sir, could you tell me what might have happened and what concerns us?” I couldn’t hide my irritation at this unexpected disturbance at dawn.

“Okay, see for yourself! Please follow me…”

I did so, moving with him toward the concrete walkway outside that runs along the front of the building. He stepped through the barred doorway, stopped in the center of the hallway, glancing angrily at the floor to either side. He moved me to do the same.

Only then did I realize the cause of his concern. There were two large red sprawling dots on either side of the concrete floor just behind the front door. I instantly identified them as paan spit-a rush of reddish saliva caused by chewing a heady mixture of betel nut, betel leaf, and lime with or without tobacco. But why was he telling me all this? How the hell could I be responsible?

“Oh! Someone has soiled their compound with paan spit. Those kinds of people always do it in the corridors, in the elevators…”

He cut me short: “As I told you, this has never happened in my house in my memory! You came a few days ago, and since then many people visited this house for the odd jobs and redo as you ordered.” You see…!

Yes, I saw it clearly now. As he claimed, this had never happened before so it had to be one of those plumbers, electricians and other vendors we call. He continued, “…Please ask them, let’s interrogate them… who must have done this hateful thing! Don’t forgive them! I’m sure one of your own did this!” And now, I found this term ‘your people’ really off-putting! The temper slowly rising inside me and I controlled it…rather I had to, because we were new and this should never turn into a confrontation. As he searched for the ideal to say, the caretaker joined us with a bucket of water and a broom, at my escape. He looked at me ruefully, “I finally have to do the cleaning…!” The owner decided to stay on to supervise.

My wife was awake when I went in and narrated the episode. She laughed out loud and thanked the landlord’s zeal for cleaning. I agreed. It had been a national campaign to make your surroundings spotless. However, he couldn’t agree with the accusatory tone in the owner’s fair agitation.

Over the next few days we questioned our normal visitors with the expectation that no one would confess to doing it, even if they did. We also warn newcomers never to commit such misdeeds. During this period we also noticed a significant decrease in our visitors. Many of them, in fact, did not show up for some much-needed touch-ups on jobs they had done before. I was getting worried knowing full well that the owner’s family must have been at work as well. One day, our temporary maid confirmed my fears. She confided to my wife that the owner’s wife asked if she or either of us had a chewing habit. I decided to talk to the owner.

The agitation was longer in him that day and I was glad to see that. I got to the point right away.

“Look sir. It’s great that you’re so concerned about cleanliness and we wholeheartedly support you. But it pains us that you’re pointing fingers at us. Even if any of us have this habit, why should you be suspicious?” About us? We are responsible citizens and never dirty our own environment. You see, the lane outside your door is a public place and any of the passersby could be doing this, out of habit or mischief. And, neither you nor we can monitor them around the clock. So please don’t scare our visitors. Few of the jobs are still half done. You see, bullying should never be part of something good that you should be doing. I hope you understand!”

If he understood, he showed no sign. He just nodded his head several times pronouncing a few monosyllables. I let her stay like this. If you rented a place, then the landlord was your real boss and as the saying goes, the boss is always right. And, it was hardly time to look for a new house.