Thirteen Years and Counting........(Part -10)

Walky-Talky were used primarily for guest coordination on those days and also to coordinate between the the late night pick-ups and drops. Its was an unusually night when rain drops were pouring in chilling winter of December of Delhi. My pick up van had reached to office and we were just waiting to start our shift by sorting out stories from outsation bureaus,desk and wire.

My shift in-charge was holding a walky -talky to see who else had left on that rainy day.All of sudden a female voice cracked from the walky-talky,"My pick-up has crashe at ashram,I am unable to reach office in time".....and all of sudden the voice broke out and vanished from the small device. We tried to figure out who was that.We started leaving messages to other in route pick upS and even after an hour we did not recieve any message from that side.

And suddenly some one banged on the doors of news room. The lady who entered half wet was almost smiling on the victory over weather as she had reached office in time.In a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans,she was the one who later managed the only english bulletin of zee news from being shut down. I must admit that it was the day,which would have been a shaky day for all of us,if the English team would not have arrived in time.Later we got to know that it was the first trial run of english bulletin,closely to be watched by Subhash Chandra.

That daring lady is now at very senior position serving passionatley with world's biggest news agency.

I learnt that day ,how to mange the risks and dangers during crucial opeartions of news channels.

We were a small team of interns,producers,reporters and desk people,but that very team made the path for zee news to achieve the glory of today.Perhaps no one from that team is still serving in zee news,but the mark made by the team and effort put together by all of us is still rememberd by each one when most of the team has gone at higher places of media.

Now that English bulletin on zee news has been wrapped up but each member of that team ---the full timers and interns both have the pride deep in their heart and a wish for leading lady who dared to survive all of us and the bulletin on that chilling day.........................

To be continued------------Our Bureau Chief and Raj Deep Sardesai at Madhav Rao Scindia's residence.