Chili trap

From the rooftop with a view of Humayan's tomb the man tells me his trick for keeping monkeys away - laced bananas. It's a bit cruel, he says. I hear the word 'laced' and think of arsenic. I picture the horror of dead monkeys littering the terrace of this upscale Delhi neighborhood. But then he explains that he halves the fruit and places chilis inside. The older monkeys know not to eat it, but the young ones try, and flee his terrace to their mothers in tears. They do not die, but they do feel discomfort. The broker assures me monkeys are not a problem here. 'They are a problem,' the old man insists. 'They come to our homes and why shouldn't they? We have taken over theirs.'