Sunday Snippets
By Venkatesh Raghavan
It was an early Friday evening at the Bombay Press Club. We were a threesome. I, Mani D’mello who was my former chief reporter at The Free Press Journal and a guest of mine by the name Leonard Valdariz we’re seated in the outer garden. This was much before our Club conceding the outer garden area for constructing the Metro station.
Valdaris and I were chatting about how we both were reporting a court battle on a probe initiated against the custodial death of his elder son. Leonard and I narrated to Mani about how the High Court had handed over the investigations to the nodal agency, namely the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Mani, being the senior most among us three, cautioned us on how to be vigilant on monitoring the Court proceedings. Our conversation then shifted to state politics. Mani was interrupted as his mobile rang loudly. It was from a top Crime Branch sleuth.
Also read: Sunday Snippets: Flashback – The day when Bombay was bombed
On completion of the call, Mani told me that he was expected to meet the sleuth but had deferred his visit due to exhaustion in his body. At that point of time, I was aware about the kidney problem that was plaguing him. The gravity of the situation was not yet known.
I asked Mani about his work place and he told me it was a news portal he contributed to. He complained that he found it difficult to get his dues for the effort. Our conversation again ran into politics. Mani strongly felt that the saffron wave which had engulfed the country was a fertile hotbed for communal polarization. Leonard agreed and said, however, during Atal Behari Vajpayee led coalition period, he had been a BJP supporter.
Our conversation continued beyond 7 pm. As the skies darkened, Mani said it’s time to head home. After signing the bill for our tea and snacks, we three walked towards the outer gate of our compound. I told Mani, we will walk down to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station from where he can take a harbour line train to Bandra.
It was then that the beans spilled. Mani told me he can’t walk that long and needed to take a taxi to his house. It was then that I learnt, he cannot take up any office job as he was unable to sit for long hours and this had forced him to rely on freelance contributions.
I was a bit tense because I wondered how we would manage if we had to wait long for the taxi. Fortunately, we got a taxi soon after we climbed down to the road from the Club pavement. My heart sank suddenly as I realized the seriousness of the situation. Mani insisted that he will drop both I and Leonard at Central Matunga on his way to his Bandra home.
That was the last time I had met Mani in person. Subsequently, I used to call up Mani on Sundays or other holidays just to let him feel, we are altogether. At times, he used to respond by returning the call after missing it.
The end came very abruptly. I was preparing to go to office post my bath and breakfast. My mobile rang. Our common friend Ronnie Williams informed me that Mani was hospitalized. I immediately made a mental note to leave early from office and visit him at Holy Family hospital.
Soon after I reached office, I realized my plans stood dashed. Senior journalist Sohrab Ghaswala got in touch and asked me to confirm the news he had received that Mani had passed away.
Ronnie Williams confirmed the news and provided me with the details for the funeral. With a tinge of sadness I felt, I should have dropped in at his home, when he was still alive. Amen!
Today I went down the memory lanes and penned my this last interaction with Mani at a time when we are losing so many scribes during this deadly pandemic. I wish to pay my homage to all these gutsy scribes who were truly wedded to journalism till their last breath – come what may!
