Biratnagar (Nepal), Aug. 1: On both sides of the 5-km highway leading up to Biratnagar from the Indian border town of Jogbani, nearly two dozen “beer bars” are doing brisk business.

The male customers — who trickle in during the day but turn into a mob after sundown — are mostly Indian, entering from the Bihar side. Money cannot buy them in India what they get easily in Nepal — that too in total secrecy, away from prying eyes.

What attracts them most is that only girls serve beer, liquor, snacks and food in almost half of the bars. Women even manage the front desks. Men at these outlets are just in the supporting roles of cooks and watchmen.

Policemen aren’t around and the bars have official licence to operate. “Employing waitresses is not illegal in Nepal,” explains a bar owner, whose wife sits at the front counter. “But no one should exceed the limit.”

A local resident describes the limit as properly-dressed waitresses — they even have to wear aprons — only standing by the side of a customer table after serving food and drinks. “This directive is known only because it is violated in almost all the bars. Provocatively dressed waitresses share the customer’s chair and easily indulge in objectionable activities,” he explains.

Chameli (name changed), a waitress, says she and scores of girls like her have no option because the competition among the bars is fierce. “Hum theek se kaam nahi karenge to customer hi bhaag jayega (If we do not work properly, the customer will run away),” she says in broken Hindi. Chameli is from the hills, some 300 km from Biratnagar.

Her friend Sharmila, who is from another hill district, says she had come to Biratnagar to work in a garment factory. “The owner and his people at the factory wanted to take advantage of my being a girl. At the beer bar, I fix my own limits and auntie (proprietor) is also caring. Two of my brothers are in the army and my parents still believe that I work in the factory,” says Sharmila. “Sometimes the tip is really good but I do not like this work.”

The story of the remaining half of these bars — all clearly visible from the highway — is, however, totally different. Men’s Heaven is how one of these outlets advertises itself with a billboard in red and white, below which are equally loud banners of an international beer brand.

Even during daytime, young girls openly solicit customers driving on the highway, barely 100 m away. The parking space at the back of the “restaurant-cum-bar” is big enough to accommodate four cars at a time.

Customers are sent to a “hall” on the first floor and skimpily dressed young girls, some of them not more than 14 years old and mostly wearing denim trousers with short tops, line up on the staircase.

Men’s Heaven also has small rooms on both floors for customers who want “bigger service” at a higher price. The expenses are first quoted in the Nepali currency and just as the customer frowns, the madam quotes the Indian Rupee equivalent.

“We know what is going on along the highway. But we ignore it as the girls are from poor background. The number of bars is increasing by the day and the inflow of Indian customers has increased after the restoration of democracy in Nepal,” says an officer at the nearby Rani police station.