Our theory: Only a dirty looking wall attracts more dirt. Keep a wall clean, show that it is ‘owned’ by someone, and Ugly Indians will not spit on it.

So we went ahead and painted the wall.

We respected the psyche of paan chewer, and used appropriate designs and colours

We chose the right kind of plants and pots that deter spitting. And made sure everyone around had a stake in the painting process.

That's all it took. The footpath was reclaimed, people began to walk here, and commercial activity resumed.

And then, we sat back and waited for the first paan stain to appear on 'our' clean wall.