III

Mr Mukker, the Searchlight Editor, who terminated our discussions after he got a small yoga tip, was kind enough to clarify while I was leaving, that the meeting wasn't a termination but was, in fact, an adjournment for a day. It is another matter that I didn't expect the above modesty of the editor to mean an intended adjournment, for it was actually an end of the matter. Yoga didn't interest. Mr Mukker, I thought.

I nevertheless presented myself the following day, prepared for his 'no' but hoping for a 'yes'.

As the editor's attendant ushered me into the room, I was a bit surprised to find an otherwise serious and sober Mukker Sahab not just smiling, but waiting. It surprised me further when he himself told me he was waiting for none else , but for me.

But sir, I am not late , I said reminding him that he didn't give any specific time and had only asked me to see him in the first hour of the day to avoid the rush hour of the afternoon or evening.

No no I am not blaming you, he said adding that the yesterday's tip I gave had worked wonders , which he had repeated twice more without a clue whether its frequent practice could even harm. I said, no it wouldn't enter ally harm if applied at appropriate moments  and that if yoga was incorporated in daily life as a way of life, use or application of such techniques would not at all be required as the body system then turns on auto-mode.

But instead of explaining things in further detail, I was myself inquisitive about two things. 

Firstly and foremostly I was curious whether I had got through the editor's resistance and my secondary curiosity was about knowing the result of the application of the yoga tip Mr Mukker used yesterday and twice more as he said.

So I asked about the latter first, placing the foremost curiosity on a secondary ladder. 

Mr Mukker said, his concentration miraculously deepened, evaporating the distractions that usually bothered him. As such he repeated the application twice more, he said, requesting me to explain its rationale. 

This paved the way for a full length discourse on the subject which the editor not just heard with rapt attention, but also made him press the call bell to summon the attendant, directing him  to close the door , forbidding any visitors who he said should be redirected to Mr. S.D.ojha, the Assistant Editor.

After hearing me at length with such great attention, Mr Mukker asked me whether I could reduce into writing what I talked. I said, yes, of course.

Then he said he was game, asking me for a copy as soon as I could write it out.

I didn't buy time, and said I may be back with a copy within minutes,  but that nearly offended Mr Mukker as though I had committed some kind of sacrilege. It was not a stupid political address that I was going to report, he warned, adding that I was going to write about something so serious about something so great that even small aberration might corrupt its impact. More so because there would be none to be able to edit the copy, save and except for visible literal errors.

I assured him, that the write up wouldn't require any editing whatsoever and sought leave.

(More to follow)