Nightshift: Soren's resignation

Tuesday, November 28. 11.17 pm.
Pages were almost finished.
Editor: "OK, Whoever is on night…"
Me: "Me ma’am"
Editor: "OK, This Shibu Soren might file his resignation tonight…. Do you know the issue?"
Me: "Ya Ma’am. He’s convicted in a murder case."
Editor: "OK. So we have to expect a resignation. Keep a watch on the tickers and the TV."
Me: "Yes Ma’am"

11.50 pm.
I was before the TV, watching Boman Irani recalling his days with Sanjay Dutt during the shooting of the Munnabai series, comfortably seated in the visitor’s sofa.
Chief sub-editor: “Hey man, what’s going on?”
Me: “Waiting for Shibu Soren’s resignation.”
And we began a long chat on his former paper, our office and life.

12.11 am.
Got the first print. Headline read “Soren convicted in murder case” I dialed the Editor’s number.
Editor: "Hello."
Me: "Ma’am Chandu here. Got the first print, the pages seem OK. No sign of Soren’s resignation yet."
Editor: "OK, keep watching the tickers."

12.30 am.
No luck with the tickers. Googled “Shibu Soren Resigns” and found out an astonishing 13 full stories, including a front page one in The Hindu! Gone, I thought. We haven’t received even one copy.
Suddenly I noticed the dateline. 2004. That was when the #()$^@% resigned earlier, I heaved a sigh of relief.

1.14 am.
Our sports correspondent, my roommate, screamed, “Dai, Breaking news da! Soren resigns.”
I frantically began searching tickers and news websites. Finally grabbed the detailed PTI ticker.

1.32 am.
Editor: "Hello"
Me: "Ma’am, Shibu Soren resigned."
Editor: "OK, what does the PTI copy read?"
And the page changing began. After five minutes, the headline read “Soren held guilty of murder, resigns”