Hathni Hospital

Being right at Jaistambh Chowk means there is never a quiet moment around here. Hathni Hospital sits right where the traffic picks up, so we hear the rickshaws and the bikes all day long. It's just part of the atmosphere now. We open up early, usually before the sun gets too high and the intersection gets really clogged. The building has been here for years, and you can tell by the way the floor tiles are worn down in the middle of the hallway. We don’t have those bright neon signs or anything, just the name on the front that everyone in the neighborhood recognizes. Most of the people working here live close by, so we just walk or take a short ride to get in. In the monsoon, the rain hits the tin roof of the shed outside and it makes so much noise you have to speak up a bit. We keep a stack of old magazines in the corner for people waiting, though most just stare out at the Chowk watching the people go by. It’s a busy spot, but inside we try to keep things moving along. Sometimes the power goes out for a minute and we all just wait for the generator to kick in with that loud thud. It’s just a normal day-to-day life at Hathni Hospital. We see all kinds of people, from the old folks who’ve lived in this part of town forever to the younger kids who look a bit nervous.