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Yuv Vani was a source of money too. Rs. 35 to Rs. 70 for a programme was almost a small fortune for a young man at that time.

Call me a foolish young man, call me plucky or just lucky, the fact remains  that I did launch DayAfter with just Rs. 500 in my pocket and a lot of guts and dreams. I know my story is not like that of the Roy brothers who launched the Sahara empire with a capital of about Rs. 2,000 and the Ambanis, who launched out of a chawl in Mumbai with a capital of Rs. 15,000 to build the Rs. 65,000 crore industrial empire that Reliance is today. But I had one thing in common with them. They were men who had big dreams, immense faith in themselves and a firm belief that dreams could be made into realities if the dreamer was obstinate and dedicated enough.

It was February, 1985. Indira Gandhi had died a shocking death. The country had been plunged into a traumatic chaos after her assassination in 1984. Her son, Rajiv Gandhi, had to take command of the country as its youngest prime minister. Circumstances and Piloo Modi's blessings and advice had brought me closer to Rajiv Gandhi. I liked him very much. He was honest, frank and direct in most of his doings. Sometimes he asked my opinion on matters he thought important. I always took him into confidence in my own dreams and adventures of life. Sometimes he gave his opinion, at others, he smiled the characteristic Rajiv Gandhi smile and said: "We shall see..."

When I was not busy with my youth politics, I spent time at the All India Radio and The Times of India office, which were special places among my media haunts. I was drawn into the media because some of my friends, including Rajiv Gandhi, considered me a good person and a good photographer. The young people in the country were at that point very much attracted to Yuv Vani, a radio service launched for the youth by All India Radio, renamed Akashvani after India's Independence. Kamala Ashok, the first Dr. Dharam Vir, was the foster mother of this service which attracted lot of young talent from all over the country to the field of radio broadcasting. I too was among those lucky young persons who were chosen by destiny as well as the directors and executives of Yuv Vani at that time. It was a source of money too. Rs. 35 to Rs. 70 for a programme was almost a small fortune for a young man at that time. I was luckier than the others. Smt. Kamala Bhadoria and Parves Alam, well-known pioneers of youth broadcasting in India at the turn of Independence, took me under their wing. I will always be specially indebted to Parves Alam, my "radio guru", who mercilessly and yet very affectionately, groomed me in the skill and art of the "word" in communication. And one of the first persons I was exposed to as my programme guest during those days was none other than Smt. Suman Krishna Kant.

As I was writing these words, I heard the sad news that Vice President Krishna Kant was no more. A heart attack and brief struggle with it had ended his distinguished life, in harness as the Vice President of India. My heart went out to Smt. Krishna Kant, whose kindness and good counsel I had enjoyed since my Yuv Vani days. Shall I say they were among the most humane and kindest VIP couples in Indian politics that I had known. May God give peace to Krishna Kant ji's soul and strength to Shrimati Krishan Kant to bear her irreparable loss. At the DayAfter they were always considered members of the DayAfter family as friends, philosophers and guides.

Going back to February 1985, I recall that I was gripped with a frenzy to launch the DayAfter. The name had already been chosen and agreed upon. For many days I could not sleep at night. I only dreamt of how and when I would launch my news magazine.

One fine morning I went to The Times of India office at 7, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg to confide in my print media mentor, Yogendra Bali, whom we, the younger generation, fondly called "Bali Ji". I still call him "Bali Ji". I disclosed my plans to him and asked him how much it would cost and what were the other things necessary to start the venture.

He first smiled, then laughed. He said: "Don't be silly. Do something better. Spend your money on having a good holiday or a feast with your friends. The print media is a tough and tricky business. Don't waste your youth and resources on it."

I argued. I always argue with him, even today. He knew by now that once I make up my mind, nothing can make me budge from my resolve. He could see that I was in an unrelenting mood. He gave in, but with a rider. He said, "O. K. I will give you all the support I can but first you go and bring out at least the first issue of your magazine. Then bring it to me and we shall decide the future course."

I was quite satisfied. I knew that "Bali Ji" had a common trait with me. If he made a promise, he seldom broke it, whatever the cost. Over the years both of us have paid heavily for this. But we have no regrets. Never mind. We are still professionally, intellectually and emotionally in tune with each other.

When I left the Chief Reporter's Desk in The Times, which was then occupied by "Bali Ji", I went to my friends Subhash Kirpekar and Ravi Bhatia and others outside The Times of India to tell them that I was going to launch the DayAfter. Every one of them asked whether I had the money. I said with confidence that "I shall manage the funds on my own". I also told them that I would be the General Manager and I will appoint independent editors, correspondents and other executives. They looked at me with open-mouthed wonder. Had I hit upon some hidden treasure? They must have wondered. I did not know at that time what "funds" really meant for launching a new publication.

When I went to All India Radio the next, day I was glad to receive a cheque of Rs. 550 for my fees for programmes presented in Yuv Vani in the previous weeks. I felt elated and rich. I needed the money for my publication. I took my cheque to the shop of Gainda Mal Walayti Ram in Regal Building in Connaught Place and encashed it at a discount of Rs. 50. I had now Rs. 500 in cash in my pocket. I had the money to launch the DayAfter. The next few days I spent filling in several forms and declarations and by the middle of March 1 had the declaration of the DayAfter in my pocket. I had also hired an outhouse in the residence of an Executive Engineer in Panchkuin Road as the first DayAfter office at a rent of Rs. 1,200. The DayAfter was launched with Rs. 500 from All India Radio in my pocket. Perhaps it was to be the only journal in the country to have its birth unwillingly financed by AIR. By May 1985, I did manage to take out the first "informal issue" of the DayAfter and present it to "Bali Ji" and my other friends and well wishers. They were stunned at my audacity and capacity to do things which they considered impossible.