Kanwarjot Clinic

Down at the police line in Ambala City, there’s a row of shops, and we are right at shop number 33. It’s a small space, as most shop-front clinics are. Kanwarjot Clinic isn’t the kind of place you’d find in a big medical park; it’s right there on the street where everything happens. We have a small counter and a couple of chairs for waiting. Because we’re so close to the police line, we see a lot of the same people every week. It’s a tight-knit spot. The walls are mostly covered with shelves for supplies and old records that we haven’t digitized yet. We like it that way because everything is within arm’s reach. The floor is concrete, and we keep it as clean as we can, though the dust from the road always finds a way in. In the winter, it gets a bit chilly because the door stays open to let the air circulate, but we usually have a small heater going under the desk. People stop by while they’re out running errands or on their way home from work. There’s no big sign with flashing lights, just our name on the glass. We spend a lot of time just talking to folks and figuring out what’s wrong. It’s a simple life in a small shop, but it keeps us busy and we feel like we’re part of the neighborhood. The afternoon sun hits the shopfront directly, so it stays bright.