Bottoms Up

You can find us inside the Grand Hotel on Queens Road. We are directly opposite the Amritsar Railway Station, so we see a lot of people coming and going from the trains. The hotel itself is one of those older buildings that has been around forever. Our bar is just a part of that history. It’s not very big, but it’s cozy enough if you’ve just got off a long journey. The floor is a bit worn from all the boots and bags. We don't have a big fancy menu. Just the usual stuff that people ask for. Sometimes the station announcements are so loud you can hear them across the street. We keep the doors closed to keep the dust out. The staff knows when the major trains are due because that’s when it gets busy. We spend the quiet hours polishing the glasses and checking the stock. It’s a simple life running a bar near a station. We see faces from all over India, and then they leave. We don't try to be a nightclub. It’s just a place to sit for an hour or two. The lighting is low and the chairs are comfortable enough. It’s just us, right there on Queens Road, waiting for the next whistle. We keep the cold drinks ready for the weary travelers.