Resident's Harsh Reaction to Watchman's Toothache Sparks Online Outcry

On a quiet evening in a Delhi residential complex, a WhatsApp group buzzed with a simple, almost mundane update: the night watchman, Shri Shankar, wouldn’t be on duty because his tooth was throbbing badly. He had taken medical leave after a dentist prescribed him painkillers.

What followed was anything but ordinary. One of the residents, evidently annoyed, shot back in the chat, “Bhai ye to ek bahaana hai duty naa karne ka… kya ganne choosne hain? Gate par baithna hai, koi gaadi chori naa ho jaye?” In plain Hindi, he dismissed the guard’s pain as a flimsy excuse, questioning why Shankar needed to sit at the gate when he could simply stay home.

Another resident tried to be helpful, offering to cover the modest cost of medicine – “Rs 50‑100 hi to kharch honge, RWA ya main le lo.” But the tone was still laced with irritation, as if the watchman’s health mattered only insofar as it affected the residents’ sense of security.

The exchange quickly leaked onto X (formerly Twitter), where netizens began to pile on. “Zero empathy towards anyone, bas apna kaam hona chahiye,” one user wrote, calling the resident’s attitude callous. Others joked that such people would make perfect managers in a corporate office, hinting at a broader disconnect between middle‑class homeowners and the workers who keep their societies safe.

Comments ranged from the sarcastic to the sympathetic. Some suggested the resident should take the night’s shift himself, while a few defended the watchman, pointing out that severe tooth pain can be genuinely debilitating. A recurring theme was the perception that many society members view staff as “owned” rather than as fellow human beings.

News18’s disclaimer notes that the story rests on user‑generated content and has not been independently verified. Still, the incident has ignited a conversation about respect, empathy, and the everyday hardships faced by those who work behind the scenes in residential complexes.

Whether the RWA will step in, or the guard will return to his post after a night of rest, remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that a simple toothache can sometimes expose deeper societal fissures.