The Paying Guests Summary

Gray-haired Khorshedbai emerges from her ground-floor room to strew garbage. Satisfied with the arrangement, she adds a glob of dog feces. Behind the locked door, Kashmira and little Adil listen to the now-familiar sounds. Outside, Khorshedbai shreds a newspaper and scatters the pieces. Seeing the latest, truly filthy and insane behavior, Khorshedbai's husband Ardesar despairs. When Khorshedbai comes in, Ardesar invokes God to ask how she could do this. She declares they started the six months of legal nonsense, but no one will peck her to pieces. God left the dog droppings outside the agyaari so she could throw it at that door. Ardesar goes to the Chaupatty beach to feed pigeons.

Locked in her room with Adil, Kashmira waits for Boman to come home so she can clean up the mess and relax outside. When they decide to...