“Hello sir. You seem tired! Would you like to have a glass of sweet lime soda? I also have salt and masala ones. Most of my customers prefer sweet lime soda as it tastes great. I only charge 10 rupees per glass.

I came to Warangal 35 years ago from my village Shyampet to earn a living. I stayed at the station for a few days, did odd jobs, and ended up in Shiva Nagar. One of the businessmen in the vicinity was from my village. I assisted him and he helped me set up a small soda stall outside the Warangal Railway station.

I have seen the town and this area change tremendously. Most of the streets were silent during afternoons and the traffic on the roads was sparse. That has changed now. Traffic remains high throughout the day. More commercial outlets have been set up in this area and that helps me get going on weekdays too.

I open my stall every day at sharp 9 in the morning. The crowd starts to pick up from about 10 a.m and there is a steady flow till 8 p.m. Soda has lost its favor among the youth these days. People tend to prefer drinking packaged cool drinks. Instead, they could come and have soda that is not harmful like the chemically flavored ones.

Talking about my hobbies, well I play cricket with young boys whenever time permits. I love Warangal a lot. The people here are extremely friendly and are always ready to pitch in during times of need. Many visitors come to Warangal because of its historical significance and heritage. That’s also one of the reasons why I never moved out of this place!”