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The first time I heard about Behram Contractor was around thirty-five years ago, when my mother would talk about his daily column 'Round and About' in the Evening News with hushed reverence.
Every home has its pin up boys-and ours was Busybee, Behram's prolific nom de plum, who wrote with a sensitivity, sophistication and warmth, hitherto unseen in Indian newspapers. By the time I entered college, I had my future decided: when I grew up I wanted to be Busybee!
It was in the late seventies when I started working for the Times of India and Behram was already a legend. And so, when a few months after I had joined, he asked me if I would like to meet 'a bright young boy who wanted to start an evening paper, which he was going to join,' I jumped at the chance.
No question about it, I would have followed Behram to the ends of the earth, but in reality I only had to take a taxi ride to Mahalaxmi, where I met Khalid Ansari, the 'young boy' in question. We were the team that began Mid-day.
What was it like working for Behram? He was a tough boss, tearing up my copy until I got it right and reducing me to tears on many occasions.
But that was forgiven, because there on the last page, would appear his column the next day, written with such elegance, compassion, wit and irony-that angels would sing through the lines!
Ileft Mid-day within the year to join India Today's city magazine Bombay, but still felt connected to Behram. So it came as no surprise really that I would be tangentially involved in his second big career move: our dear friend Bakul Patel called us over to meet another 'young man'-Kamal Morarka- who she said wanted to help Behram.
'Such a talented journalist, with no security after all these many years of hard work' were Bakul's words. As these things go, I could not attend the meeting on the verandah of Bakul's Eden Hall flat, but Behram was there with his young bride Farzana, and so was Kamal Morarka along with my ex husband Vir when the Afternoon Despatch and Courier was mooted.
This was a new Behram. Far from the fly-by-night bachelor, eking his days out in a PG at Churchgate, content to spend the evenings with his drinking buddies, here was a newly-married man with a young attractive bride, fired with the thought of settling down, becoming a provider, being secure.
At one point, Vir told me, when the conversation reached an impasse about Behram's status in the new venture, he pointed to Farzana and asked uncharacteristically -what will happen to my wife once I am gone?
Yesterday, I read with sadness that in fact Behram's fears were not unfounded: Farzana is embroiled in an ugly dispute involving Behram's legacy.
I do not know the details, but it will be a shame to Behram's memory and the city he wrote about so passionately, if his heritage were allowed to perish.
