An Unforgettable Boss

The evening of November 19, 1997 was like any other. Except that my boss, who usually leaves office after the prime-time news bulletin, left early that Wednesday. The sun had not set by the time she reached home.  The sequence of events that followed remains sketchy. But one thing is clear. She was murdered.

Among the cases that generate media attention, the Shivani Jajodia murder case is one of the few unsolved murders in the history of Delhi Police investigations. Though it was unproven, it was alleged that Shivani could have been a victim of the stalker who shadowed women in Delhi that year.  Another theory was she may have been attacked by someone who had broken into the house and did not expect her to return early.

Her brother who crossed her house that evening was surprised to find his sister’s house lights on, as she was always in the office at that time. He found the main door ajar but her room door was locked from inside. After repeated knocking, Shivani found the strength to open the door though she was bleeding and bruised. Having opened the door, she collapsed. That was the last time she was conscious.

She was rushed to the hospital by which time, she had lost a lot of blood. She succumbed to her injuries later.  Shivani was my boss at that time.

Of all the bosses during my professional journey, I am most in awe of Shivani. Though she was my boss for just 19 months, the short period was full of learning opportunities for me. Mostly, by watching her. My interaction with Shivani was limited. She was the Chief Producer. I joined as a Production Assistant, who she promoted in a year. She was so senior that I hardly spoke in her presence, unless asked to. But I observed how carefully she engaged with her craft. Her passion for her work was palpable. You could sense it from a distance. Mostly, I kept my distance. Out of respect. And awe.

She had an amazing eye for detail. I got to witness first-hand how she spotted an error that may not even seem like one to others. Her aesthetic sense had evolved over years of perfecting her craft. She would not approve unless it fully met her expectations. Those who were part of her team were aware of how much effort it took to secure her approval.

My Moments with Shivani

I have many memories of her. But a few will forever remain etched in my mind. Once, I was waiting outside her cubicle to seek permission for leave. I had to travel to my home state to spend time with my family. Just when I was heading to meet her, another colleague rushed in. She was seeking a week’s leave at the same time. I heard Shivani raise her voice as my colleague had nearly claimed her due share of leaves. Her request was denied.

I was unsure if it was the right time to approach her. I began reversing my steps when Shivani spotted me. She called me in and asked why I wanted to see her.

‘I want to go home to my parents,’ I mumbled.

‘For how long,’ she asked.

‘10 days,’ I said.

‘What! You haven’t gone on leave ever since you joined. Now that you are going after so long, don’t you want to spend at least two weeks there? I am guessing you will go by train and the journey itself will take 2 days,’ she said.

Such was Shivani.

A strict disciplinarian, she would chide you for the slightest negligence and appreciate if your work met her high standards. The news producers, comprising a few boys and mostly girls in their early 20s, were scared of her. Some would be upset with her for treating them like schoolchildren. I often heard ‘we are not kids anymore,’ after being pulled up by Shivani.

On many occasions, a few of my colleagues would be playing Tetris in the newsroom till they heard Shivani’s footsteps descending the wooden staircase. In a flash, the tab key would take the screen to some other page opened on the computer.

I never indulged in any computer game at work but I once faced her ire when it came to her notice that I had frequently erred while sound-mixing news bulletins. In my case, there was no public rebuke. She summoned me to her room and made it clear that if I made one more mistake, I would be removed from this responsibility for good. I used to make at least one mistake every day. I don’t think I made a mistake after that for a long time. In a couple of years, I was known for my skills in sound mixing. One warning from her was enough to take me from a no-gooder to one of the best in the team for that function.

Such was Shivani.

She once summoned me and gave me the responsibility to archive hundreds of tapes that were not catalogued. There was no metadata that could help searchability. She referred to it as the most important assignment of the year. I was handpicked because Himanshu, who was chosen for this task, asked for me to partner with him on this project. He felt my awareness of people in the news would come in handy. And the next thing I remember, I worked in a graveyard shift for almost three months.

My colleagues sympathised when they heard what I was getting into. Months later, when I was back on the production floor, I quickly became the most sought-after resource because I knew exactly where to find all key footage. Word went back to my boss about how useful I was, when on shift. Shivani called me and said how proud she was to learn what she heard. It made up for the sleepless nights and social reclusion for 10 weeks or so. Even a few words of appreciation from her meant a lot.

Such was Shivani.

I have a lot to thank her for. A quarter century later, I am still grateful to her for the production values instilled in me. And for stressing on the importance of rigour.

Your Takeaway

• If you don’t like your boss trying to discipline you now, bear in mind you will value it in future. It is this discipline which will hold you in good stead later in life. And forever.

• Your boss may not be in a position to sit you down and teach you. But there’s a lot you can learn through your interaction (however limited it is), and by watching. You can even learn from a distance. Use observation as a tool. You can hone your skills and pick up leadership traits through the power of observation.

• If you are blessed to work with a great leader, make the most of your time with your boss. None of us knew then that destiny would end Shivani’s life so prematurely.

‘A truly great boss is hard to find, difficult to part with & impossible to forget,’ I read somewhere and pictured Shivani.

I still do.