Even the closed bedroom door couldn’t hide the shrill doorbell. I woke up and turned on my cell phone to check the time. It was very early. We had been new to the place and the visits of the usual newsboy or milkman or maid or washerman had not yet been formalized. Who could he be? I got up and walked lazily to the door. I was happy that my wife was still sleeping peacefully. I closed the bedroom door behind me, and as I did, 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, slim figure stood erect; his long face with a hair-thin mustache showed unmistakable signs of agitation and his eyes, still swollen from sleep, burned.

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

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

“What happened…?”

“I just can’t imagine it! Absurd…crazy…!” He paused for effect, shaking his head in every possible direction.

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

“Okay, check it out 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 walked through the gated doorway, stopping in the center of the hallway, glancing angrily at the floor on either side. He moved me to do the same.

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

“Oh! Someone has littered your compound with pan to spit. Those kind of people always do it in the corridors, in the elevators…”

He cut me off: “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 have visited this house for odd jobs and redo as you ordered.” You see…!

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

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

For 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 warned newcomers never to commit such misdeeds. During this period we also noticed a significant decrease in our visitors. Many of them, in fact, didn’t show up for some much-needed touch-ups on jobs they’d done before. I was getting concerned 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 is very good that you are so concerned about cleanliness and we support you wholeheartedly. But it hurts us that you are pointing fingers at us. Even if any of us have this habit, why should I 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 passers-by could be doing this, out of habit or out of spite. , neither you nor we can monitor them around the clock. Therefore, please do not 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 several times pronouncing a few monosyllables. I let her stay like that. If you rented a place, then the owner was your real boss and as the saying goes, the boss is always right. And, it was hardly time to look for a new home.