At an age when many choose to slow down, 80-year-old Lakhu Naik continues to cycle every day from Bastora to Mapusa before returning to his roadside stall with fresh lemons, ginger and kokum. A mason for more than five decades and now one of the region’s best-known lime soda makers, Naik has built his life on honesty, hard work and an unwavering commitment to quality. His story is not merely about refreshing drinks, but about resilience, dignity and the belief that no honest work is ever small.
At an age when many choose to slow down, 80-year-old Lakhu Naik continues to cycle every day from Bastora to Mapusa before returning to his roadside stall with fresh lemons, ginger and kokum. A mason for more than five decades and now one of the region’s best-known lime soda makers, Naik has built his life on honesty, hard work and an unwavering commitment to quality. His story is not merely about refreshing drinks, but about resilience, dignity and the belief that no honest work is ever small.
Every morning, long before most people begin their day, Lakhu Naik quietly sets off on his bicycle from Bastora to Mapusa to buy fresh lemons, ginger and other ingredients. By around 9.30 am, he reaches his modest roadside stall at Bastora Junction. Within minutes, customers begin gathering. Some wait patiently, knowing their drink will never be rushed, while others travel from different parts of Goa just to taste the lime soda prepared by the man they affectionately know simply as Lakhu.
For Naik, making lime soda is far more than a means of earning a livelihood. Every glass reflects the values that have shaped his life—hard work, patience, honesty and dedication.
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“I don’t make drinks in a hurry,” he says. “I prepare one glass at a time. Whoever comes first gets served first. I want people to enjoy every drink. I don’t work only for money; I work so that people leave my stall happy.”
His ginger soda and kokum soda have become customer favourites. Every morning he prepares fresh organic ginger paste and carefully balances the sugar, salt and flavours before serving each glass. For him, quality must never be sacrificed for speed, a principle that has earned him a loyal following over the years.
Long before he became known for his refreshing lime soda, Naik spent more than 50 years as a mason, helping build homes across Goa.
“I still remember earning just Rs 2.50 for carrying a brick,” he recalls. “Out of that I had to manage my tea and lunch. Life was difficult, but we never complained. We simply worked harder.”
Even today, despite being 80 years old, he proudly says he can still lift heavy bricks and occasionally takes up small masonry jobs. Through every stage of his life, one faithful companion has remained by his side—his bicycle.
“I have been cycling since I was ten-years-old, and still ride every day. My bicycle has kept me healthy and active.”
There was a time when he cycled all the way to Parcem for work, completing the journey in about two hours.
Life, however, did not offer him the opportunity to pursue formal education. Growing up in a farming family, survival came before schooling. His family cultivated five fields every year, growing paddy during the Kharif season and vegetables during winter. Much of his childhood was spent working on the farm.
“I may not know how to write well, but I can count, calculate and communicate with people. God has blessed me in many other ways,” he says.
Naik recalls that some of his childhood friends went on to become Talathis, officers and government servants.
“Sometimes I think that if I had studied, perhaps I too would have worked in an office.”
Yet there is no trace of regret or bitterness in his voice. Through decades of masonry work and now his lime soda business, he educated his children, saw them married and settled in life. He readily credits his wife and children for standing beside him throughout his journey.
His roadside stall has become so much a part of the local community that customers immediately notice whenever he is absent.
“If I don’t open even for one day, people call and ask why the stall is closed. They wait for me.”
Once he begins serving customers, there is hardly any opportunity to rest.
“I have my lunch at the stall because people keep coming. I don’t like to disappoint anyone.”
Even as the prices of lemons and other ingredients continue to rise, Naik refuses to compromise on quality. He believes the secret to preparing the perfect lime soda comes from the lessons he learnt as a mason.
“As a mason, I knew exactly how much cement, sand and water to mix. The same judgment helps me here. I know exactly how much sugar, salt, ginger or kokum to add. Nobody taught me this. I learnt it through experience.”
His philosophy is simple, yet deeply inspiring.
“There is no shame in any honest work. Whether you build houses or sell lime soda, what matters is that you do it sincerely.”
Lakhu Naik’s life is a reminder that success is not measured by titles or wealth, but by the dignity with which one works and the lives one touches along the way. At 80, his bicycle still rolls along the familiar roads between Bastora and Mapusa, his hands still carry the strength and precision of a mason, and his humble roadside stall continues to refresh not only thirsty customers but also everyone who believes that honesty, perseverance and humility remain life’s greatest achievements.
