How I did not become a Journalist

[JUSTIFY]I had conscionable finished my B.Sc. I wanted to effort for a spot for M.Sc astatine the University of Pune. Unfortunately the seats were limited, and I was not arsenic bully arsenic the others who tried that year. I was astatine a nonaccomplishment of what to bash further. The aboriginal seemed bleak.

The paper carried an advertisement for a people successful Journalism. I thought I would springiness it a try. People astatine location were definite I would not marque it. Not 1 who was ne'er funny successful the news, ne'er work the paper etc. Not 1 whose wide cognition did not widen beyond the country successful which she lived.

Anyway, I decided to instrumentality the entranceway test. I did not person thing to lose. Believe me, this is the champion presumption to beryllium in. It makes 1 instrumentality risks 1 would different hesitate to take.

Next time I went for the test. There were nonsubjective questions and aggregate prime questions. There was a question "Who was the Frontier Gandhi"? Search me. I was alert of lone Mahatma Gandhi. Although I had heard of Frontier Gandhi, I had nary hint who it was. For immoderate crushed a dependable whispered successful my caput "Say Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan". I thought I would erstwhile perceive to someone. Anyone speechmaking it would beryllium chartless to me, truthful I had the immunity of anonymity, truthful who cared if it were close oregon wrong.

After I went home, I faced different Spanish inquisition astir what questions were asked. When I came to Frontier Gandhi, determination were funny looks and I was asked "and, what did you write"? Imagine my alleviation erstwhile I recovered retired that my thukka was right. Next time determination was a database of candidates who could be a viva.

I was determination aboriginal capable to cheque retired the database and ideate my astonishment to spot my sanction connected the list. One of my classmates who had done her Microbiology was determination (although she had got admittance for M.Sc.). What a discarded I had thought. Anyway. I went for the interview. It went this way:

(I = Interviewer S = Satchi)

I: What person you studied?

S: I person done my B.Sc successful Microbiology.

I: Then wherefore bash you privation to bash Journalism?

S: I did not get admittance for M.Sc and thought this would beryllium thing that would involvement me.

I: What newspapers bash you read?

S: Indian Express and Poona Herald.

I: Poona Herald?

S: Sorry, Maharashtra Herald. (The sanction had been changed a fewer months earlier that).

I: Then wherefore did you accidental Poona Herald?

S: Force of habit. Old habits dice hard.

I: OK. How galore columns does the insubstantial have?

S: I work the paper. I did not number the fig of columns.

I: So what bash you read?

S: I work who died, who murdered whom, Mandrake the Magician and Mickey Mouse.

I looks similar helium wants to permission the country and instrumentality successful immoderate caller aerial (or astatine slightest I deliberation so).

I went location and was again faced an inquisition. When they heard what each I had answered, each hellhole broke escaped and I was told I could hide immoderate anticipation of getting connected the course.

Next time I went to look for the results. You could person knocked maine down with a feather erstwhile I recovered my sanction connected the database of radical selected. My person was besides selected and I was happy, I would person my adjacent person with maine successful this course.

The people started. I went to people and took my seat. The archetypal lecturer walked in. He was the exertion of a precise reputed Marathi newspaper. (He was besides the 1 who had interviewed me).

The archetypal happening helium did was look astir the people and said "My God, this people is afloat of girls. I bash not consciousness inspired astatine each erstwhile I person to thatch girls, due to the fact that you volition bash the course, discontinue and get married". I was shocked.

After the people was over, determination were 5 minutes for the adjacent lecturer to arrive. I thought implicit my people of action. I could not bring myself to larn thing nether specified an MCS. My caput was made up. I went consecutive backmost location and decided I did not privation to beryllium a pupil to this benignant of a teacher. My person aboriginal connected told maine that they had made him devour his words packed successful paper covered with printers' ink.

Well, I could accidental "My Loss". But that is successful retrospect. May beryllium I was ne'er destined to beryllium a journalist. My sanction is not Barkha Dutt. May beryllium it could person been Geetanjali Aiyer.

P.S. My person finished her journalism, did her B.Ed and has been teaching successful a schoolhouse for the past 25 years.[/JUSTIFY]