Necklace road is where you can spot many couples and families walking around enjoying the view of the lake, albeit polluted, it still offers a contemplative charm to many a writer. Bharatamma is a sugarcane juice vendor at Necklace road, while you can find dozens scattered across the pavements, Bharatamma’s 20 years of experience sets her apart. In fact, she runs the sugarcane juice stall along with her husband and four of her kids sell aerated drinks and ice-creams near her stall. Bharatamma, originally from Medak, settled down in the city along with her husband.
Her day starts early and she is up by 4.00 a.m. “We get the sugarcane everyday from a godown near Tarakarama theatre and make juice at Necklace Road,” she says. Why here? “This road is beautiful, people say the lake smells but there is some beauty to it otherwise why would so many people come here? I love watching lovers walk hand in hand,” she smiles.
“I make the juice well, I know how much ice and lime to give the right kind of zing,”
Three men walk by, she hands them three glasses without questions. She says, “These three men have been coming to me ever since they were in college and I just hand them over their drinks now, they don’t even ask me anymore,” she smiles. Does she sip a few glasses in the order of business? Her face contorts and she squeals that she hates sugarcane juice and then laughs. “I prefer tea. I am good at selling it, but I dislike the beverage,” she says.
On an average, she gets about 100 people in a day; but what about the off-season? “When it starts to rain, I shift to selling corn cobs, I keep the juice stall too because there are many who like to drink it,” she says with a wide grin.
