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30 in cricket ,is a score where batsman looks up at the scoreboard with some degree of satisfaction and assures himself I’m at least in for the next match.Thirty,to him is like a launching pad from where he would think of taking off .It is the recognized Base- Station for batsmen.

However in active journalism,as much as in other jobs,thirty is almost the end.Or conveys a signal that prepare for the slog.Just as these days,the moment a baby is born,parents think of collecting their school admission forms–similarly thirty,in the media means preparing mentally for your pension.Or if you are incredibly lucky–for the lifetime achievement award.

I reacted with complete surprise when co-TV analyst Samabaran Banerjee and close friend Nitin Patel told me they had made elaborate arrangements for celebrating my 3oth year in the media. And that the function will happen on my birthday.Nitin had come to me earlier,to be precise five years ago.He wanted to celebrate my 25th year in the media.

I had turned down the proposal as I didn’t know him well then.Years spent together of course has convinced me here is a very well meaning Gujarati businessman,who has rabindra Sangeet on his caller tune.Someone who is more bengali than a new age Bengali. Then, there was Sekhar Datta,another close pal of mine and then Sambaranda himself -who I wanted to ape during my school wicket keeping days.It was impossible to refuse them and thankfully I didn’t.I would have lost out on a magical night.

Trust me,wife Raya or myself had absolutely no idea about the card they were designing,the venue they had in mind or the hoardings they had put up on prominent Kolkata thoroughfares.All I was thinking whether I will combine the website launch with it.

This website was getting relaunched after two years and needed some push.But then I decided against it.This was their function for me.Not my function to further my cause.

Someday while I continue to write this blog I would definitely talk about the magical evening on the 10th of April.It was an unforgettable night filled with dinner,drinks,adda and laughter.People from all walks of life came and partied as if there was no tomorrow.

I particularly missed two acquitances of mine who, later ,went on to become extended family. Subhas Chakraborty and Sunil Gangopadhyay.it is not just in defeat that you remember close big hearted people you know well enough to seek help.But you remember them all the more when once in a decade or decades, you have a reason to party !

Coming back to www.gautam4you.com I am deeply embarassed that due to poor time management and an unenviable work ethic I couldn’t continue being in touch with the readers.That hundreds and hundreds despite that continued to send mails was something I couldn’t explain.But something that provided me with a new initiative to start all over again.

Oney Seal ,my close friend from Miami is the one who has brought back life in this website.He engaged krishnasimha Kanchibhatta an IT professional of repute to completely redesign the site.Krishna has done that with loads of care and alertness.From my end it has been Sudipa ,my sincere secretary,who followed up on a regular basis with Krishna and uploaded about  560 picture(I remember a friend  complaining to me few years ago that my website didn’t have neough pictures.Surely,that has been addressed !)

The result is before your eyes.As I embark upon a fresh journey,in cricketing parlance- take a fresh guard on the 31st year,in my professional career, there are major worries and doubts.There are also fresh hopes,fresh vigour and fresh dreams.

Hopefully,the new look website will be the biggest motivation pill for me while I battle my worries this season. Bestest readers of mine–Wish me luck as always.

Shubho nababarsho