Thirteen Years and Counting..........(Part 6)

Rahul Dev, at that time was heading a program which by that time had created waves in Indian media,and every single journalist was willing to take a chance in that half an hour charishma of Indian Television news industry.

Aaj Tak,conceptualised and designed by Late Surendra Pratap Singh, a half an hour current affairs and news show on DD Metro had been a destination for many of today's achievers in media. Surendra Pratap Singh was a man who had created history as Editor of' Nav Bharat Times' and 'Anand Bazar Patrika's' Ravivar' at very early years of his life as journalist. A man without any biasness was an articulate journalist and more over a good human being. He died of Brain Heomopharage in Apollo Hospital in 1997.

I never got a chance to meet him.

Rahul Dev was his successor in TV Today. I phoned him on one sunday, seeking an appointment,however without realizing his busy schedule I started telling him about myself and reasons to meet him.Without taking any interest in my story,he asked me to meet at 4:00 PM on Wednesday.

As I have narrated earlier, I prepared all my documents and rushed well full one hour in advance to Aaj Tak office(It was at that time in Cannaught Place).Monika was the receptionist at inner circle, Cannaught Place office of TV Today. I waited for quite a while and then his secretary Shashi, directed me in a huge office where the bearded man was sitting and was on the phone with one of his relatives(perhaps his Mama) .I took the front chair and raised my hands just to rub off my sweated face.

The shrewd eyes of Rahul Dev at one glance captured my rist watch.'Ghadi Badi Mehangi Hai', He said.

'Sir, Gift me mili hai', all was what I had replied without revealing the secret that it was mere a hundred rupee watch which I had purchased from Cannaught Place.

We conversated for twenty minutes and then he directed me to Mr Wahid Naqvi his deputy in Aaj Tak. In mid way I noticed Deepak Chaurasia shouting on his copy writers . Wahid Naqvi did not take a single minute to reject me I was quite unexperienced and was still into my course as he would have predicted.

I have no words to describe my psychological status. The earth and sky both were spinning before me. I took a round of inner circle in that state of mind and bought a cold drink to realax my mind. A normal practice for me uptill the series of my rejections in media.

Since then I would have made two dozen phone calls to Rahul Dev,sometime he came on phone and moreover, sometime agreed to give me an appointment.But never I disclosed why I could not join him or what Mr Wahid Naqvi had said to me.

I have no regrets or complains for either Rahul Dev or Wahid Naqvi. Three four years later when Sanjaya Pugalia took over from Rahul Dev,I met him also but he was supposed to move to Mumbai to start a new venture.

South Campus had been my shelter and a Head Quarter as I returned after each interview to nice surroundings of it to meet each of my friend and to have lunch at Murthy's canteen.That is how we all of us, Sarvada,Vikram, Brajesh,Manish,Vashistha,CK were spending the days in South Campus.

Those were hard days for all of us and we will never be able to forget South Campus that how it shelterd all of us.

My journey which started in Lucknow was taking a tough turn,but there was me determined like a rock that I will make it, whatsoever it takes.

And destiny was waiting for me in BBC,as I was promised by Mr Madhukar Upadhyaya for intership.

This was the time when India was visiting its satelite revolution.There were couple of channels.Zee, NDTV-Star,Jain and TVI.BBC by that time had winded up its half an hour show on Home TV.

Journey was tough and so was the travellar.

This was summer season of 1998 and the month was May.

Story was unfolding and so the wings of time for Indian news industry..........................

(To be Contineued)


Next---My meeting in Nalini Singh's office and my Two months in BBC's magical realm.