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Date: 14th June
Time: All day event
PROLOGUE:
———–
After a barrage of phone calls from all those near and dear, I fnally managed to pick up my sorry ass, off the bed and take a shower. (To all those with the skeptical look: Yes indeed, I DID take a shower…)
I reached the office, and was promptly called in by Sameer (VP & Station Director, Radio Mirchi Pune) with a serious expression on his face. My Prog Head, Kanchan and all the other jocks were present there as well.
I sensed something was amiss. Sameer broke the silence.
“What is this guys? Where’s the quotient?”
“But Sameer – ”
“No ifs and buts!! This is not done! You’ve been told a thousand times, maybe more than that! And if you still can’t maintain the quotient, well, there’s something really wrong somewhere…”
Then he turned his guns on me…
“Shrikant, you especially, have had a bad quotient. You really need to work on it!”
What a start to the day. 24 revolutions around the sun, and the 25th has to begin like this. I was trying to check and verify the validity of his statements, when –
I did not see Kanchan tripping.
I did not see the rest of the jock team, attempting to hide their grins.
I did not see Sameer ‘trying’ to maintain a stoic face as he said this.
I did not see everybody trying hard to suppress the laughter that had bubbled up.
And then it burst forth.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!”
I was picked, kicked, congratulated, hugged, shoved, tickled, and all the jazz and razmatazz. :D
What a way to start my 25th birthday. Heh heh.
I wasn’t complaining. No way!
CHAPTER 1
———–
Roshan (my Producer, sweet woman :) ) and I planned the show for the day. It was World Blood Donation/Donors day, I interviewed a pan-shop vendor who had donated his blood 170+ times, the show was set.
With my writing pad in tow, I entered the studio, and got set for my show…
4:50 PM:
RJ Maanasi, the Total Filmy Jock, signs out…
4:56 PM
I set up my Sound effects and the songs to play, and get ready…
4:59 PM
The program credits begin…
5:00 PM
Before I begin to describe what happened, a brief introduction is required here:
I begin all my shows with a standard opening line:
“Punekar Mirchiwaale, zara ghadyaale kade laksha dya, paach waajun gelet kaay!”
[Read: “Punekar Mirchiwaale, do look at your watches, it’s 5 PM, it’s show time!”]
After this I usually launch into the topic of the day, describe it a wee bit, and ask the listeners a question. The show I host, is a games show called Bumper2Bumper. It has lots of contests and loads of fun-filled moments.
So I began,
“Punekar Mirchiwaale, – ”
That’s as far as I got.
After I had spoken those two words, the entire Programming team at Radio Mirchi Pune, barged into the studio, screaming, yelling, and basically making as much noise as they could.
And then, the entire city of Pune knew that it was my birthday.
To say that I was shocked or surprised is an understatement. I was dumbstruck, speechless, ecstatic, words-had-left-me, grinning-like-mad, euphoric, shaking, you name it.
Kanchan, Roshan, Safia, Shubhra, Mirchiman Aniruddha, Khubsoorat Smita, Aditi of Purani Jeans, Dr. Love, Neha, Maanasi, almost everybody was in the studio and wishing me…
That’s about all of it that I can remember, apart from being dazed.
After wishing me on air, the guys left and I began the show a little unsteady from the high that I had just recieved.
And then, the phone lines began ringing…
This was going to be one pleasantly long day.
“Hello, Radio Mirchi…”
(To be continued.)
A sneak peek at part 2:
Enter – the Sales team – a huge chocolate cake – a complete mess – funny pics – and a whale of a time…