“New editor-in-chief?”

“Haan. Manav Sir ka patta kat gaya.”

“Kaun hai?”

“Kabir Sharma.”

“Kabir Sharma? Print se? Print se laye hain Khalid Sir kissi ko?” Ananya’s eyes lighted up.

“Print? Nahin yaar. Print se kaise layenge. T News se hai. Uska show wahan kaafi famous tha. Dekha nahin kabhi tune? Kabir se mulaquaat. Bade celebrities aate the usmein.” Her friend and colleague Richa replied, “Female following badi zabardast hai bande ki.”

Ananya Kashyap did not remember seeing any Kabir Sharma on TV. There was only one Kabir Sharma she had been hoping to find for last eight years. But that man could not be hosting a celebrity gossip programme on a news channel.

And such a person being an editor-in-chief meant that she would have no more opportunity to do the kind of journalism she wanted to do now than there was earlier. But she would try nonetheless.

“Kahan ja rahi hai? Abhi-abhi to office pahunchi hai.” Richa asked.

“Bahar nahin ja rahi. Kuchh sensitive footage hai mere paas. To pahle editor-in-chief ko dikhana hoga na?”

“Sambhal kar jaana.”

“Kyon? Khadoos hain kya?”

“Khadoos ka pata nahin. Eye-candy hai. Phisal na jaana. Tune pahle kabhi dekha bhi nahin use.”

“Shut up, Richa. Main office apne bosses ke saath romance karne nahin aati hoon.”

“Well – mera kaam tha warn karna. Baaki tu jaane.”

—

“May I come in, Sir?”

“Yes?”

“Sir. I am Ananya Kashyap–”

“Junior reporter. I think aap office late aayi hain.”

“Woh main ek lead follow kar rahi thi, Sir. Early morning hours mein, shahar se thoda door jaana pada. Isliye–”

“I hope it was worth it.”

“Sir. Thodi sensitive footage hai. Agar aap dekh lete to…”

“SD card par hai? Rakh dijiye yahan.”

“Sir, thoda time-sensitive hai–”

“Let me decide that, Ms. Kashyap. You can leave now.”

—

“Khadoos to hai!” Ananya slumped into her chair and grumbled.

“Arre. Kya hua? Kya pahle hi din se jhagda karegi, naye boss se bhi?”

“Hamare pichhle boss kam-se-kam footage dekh lete the. Kabhi-kabhi air karne ka promise bhi kar dete the. Aur jab unke oopar politicians ka ya aur bade-naami logon ka pressure aata tha, tab buckle in kar ke air nahin karte the. In janaab ne to dekha tak nahin. Pahla din hai office mein aur boss-giri chalu! Leave that to me, Ms. Kashayap! My foot.”

“Tera kuchh nahi ho sakta. Anyway, woh student union election waali story par interview le liya hai tune? Manav Sir pooch rahe the.”

“Haan. De aati hoon unhein. Kuchh to air hoga.”

She ran into Ronnie, her best friend, on her way to Manav’s cabin.

“Are Ananya. Main tujhe hi dhoondh raha tha. Chief minister ki rally tujhe cover karni hai. Vinod karne waala tha. But uski tabiyat kharaab ho gayi hai. Nikal ja jaldi, please.”

“Fine. Main ye Manav Sir ko de kar aati hoon. Unhein apne bulletin ke liye chahiye hoga–”

“Main de deta hoon. Tu nikal, late ho jayegi.”

“Theek hai.”

“Ms. Kashyap!” Kabir’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Yes Sir.”

“Chief minister ki rally ke baad contact the ruling party’s chief. Woh bhi wahan rally mein honge. Get him onboard for an interview tomorrow at 9 ‘o clock. In my first bulletin.”

“Aap party chief ko interview karna chahte hain?”

“Yes. Koi objection?”

“Aapne meri footage dekhi hai?”

“Aapne Delhi Kranti ka morning edition dekha hai? News stale ho chuki hai, Ms. Kashyap. We need a different angle.”

“Haan to Delhi Kranti apne reporters ko azaadi deta hai ki woh apne dam par stories layen aur immediately file karein. Hamein har sensitive footage ke liye editor-in-chief ki censorship pass karni hoti hai, phir bulletin owners ko idea sell karna padta hai–”

“Badi dikkat hai aapko yahan par? Phir aap Delhi Kranti hi kyon nahin join kar leti?”

Ananya hesitated for a moment, then blurted, “Kyonki mujhe utni achchhi Hindi likhni nahin aati.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ananya!” Ronnie hissed, “Kaise baat kar rahi hai? Kya hua hai tujhe? Sorry bol.”

“Nahin bolungi sorry. Maine kya galat kaha hai?”

“Ms. Kashyap. Main aapke sorry ka achaar daaloonga kya? Aap bas apna kaam karein. Get me that interview.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Ananya, kya hua hai?” Ronnie ran after her, “Boss ka pahla din hai office mein. Tu aise kyon jhagda karne par tuli hai? Naukri chhodni hai to resign kar de na. Nikale jaane ka shauk kyon paal liya hai?”

“Ronnie, mera mood theek nahin hai. Jaane de mujhe.”

“Isliye to nahin jaane de raha hoon. Aise mood mein kya kaam karegi. Kya hua hai?”

Ananya suddenly grew very still, then spoke in a sad voice, “Ronnie. Aaj poore aath saal ho gaye hain, jab humne Papa ko aakhiri baar dekha tha. Arrest hote hue. Aur har guzarte din ke saath main zyada sad feel karti hoon. Pahle vishwaas tha ki Papa laut aayenge. Phir mujhe lagta tha ki jab main reporter ban jaungi to sab kuchh pata laga loongi Aur ab dekh? Chaar saal ho gaye hain. Kya kar rahi hoon main reporter ban ke? Road accidents cover kar rahi hoon. Politicians ki wahi ghisi piti jhoothi batein report kar rahi hoon. Un celebrities ki soundbytes le rahi hoon aise subjects par jiske baare mein unhein kuchh nahin pata hai. Raaste chalet logon se desh aur duniya ke baare mein pointless sawaal pooch rahi hoon. Papa ka sach to chhod – uske baare mein to mujhe ye bhi samajh nahin aa raha ki shuruat kahan se karoon – jo doosre logon ka sach kabhi pata chalta hai woh bhi kabhi saamne nahin aata. Power aur paison ke saamne…”

“Hey!” he gave her an affectionate side-hug, “Aise dil nahin haarte, dost. Duniya kaafi screwed up hai. Time to lagega. Lekin dekh lena, ek din tu bahut hi powerful reporter hogi, aur tab tere raaste mein koi nahin aa payega.”

“Rahne de, Ronnie.”

“Nahin. Main sirf tujhe khush karne ke liye nahin bol raha. Tujhe pata hai tere andar kuchh hai. Kuchh different. Ise itni aasaani se mat khatam hone de. Duniya mein koi bhi cheez jo paane layak hai na, use paane mein samay aur effort to lagta hai. Warna to sabhi pa lenge na. Haan?”

“Tu kuchh zyada hi samajhdaar hai, Ronnie.”

“Chal maanti hai na ki main samajhdaar hoon? To phir meri baat par bharosa kar. Aur ek smile de de, please. Please?”

She obliged and hugged him. “Thanks, Ronnie.”

“Chal ab. Bhaag jaldi. Subah bhi late aayi thi. Agar ye rally cover nahin hui ya woh boss ke liye interview fix nahin kiya, to sach mein nikaal di jayegi.”

She chuckled, “Bye, Ronnie. Sunny kahan hai?”

“Canteen mein.”

—

“Sir!” Ananya ran into Kabir in the corridor after coming back from live coverage of rally.

“Yes, Ms. Kashyap?”

“Interview schedule ho gaya hai. He will be here in the studio tomorrow.”

“Great. Thanks!”

“Achchhi camera presence hai bande ki. He will rock on your show,” she added bitterly and saw Ronnie rushing to her side.

“You think so?” Kabir raised an eyebrow.

“Yes Sir,” she managed to say before Ronnie dragged her away.

“Kya pagalpan hai, Ananya?” Ronnie pushed her in a chair in the canteen and demanded.

“Tujhe pata nahin hai maine kya footage di hai unhein. Aur uske baad woh use apne show par bula kar uska interview karna chahte hain.”

“Kya footage di hai? Aur jo bhi di hai, apne boss se is tarah se baat karne ka kya matlab hai?”

“Haan Ananya,” Richa also joined them, “Tu aise kyon behave kar rahi hai?”

“To Ronnie ne de diya na lecture,” Ananya replied, “Ab tujhe bhi dena zaroori hai?”

“Chal chhod ye sab. Kaam khatam ho gaya na. Let’s go out somewhere. Ananya ko change ki zaroorat hai. What say, Ronnie?”

“Good idea.”

“Nahin yaar, rahne do tumlog, abhi weekday par…”

“Ab chal bhi, kitne nakhre karegi Ananya Rani?”

“Achchha baba. Chal. Main Ma ko phone kar ke bol deti hoon.”

—

To be continued