‘Why don’t we discuss this in private, Varun?’ I snapped back and charged out of the terrace. I was getting tired of Varun and his incessant rants. I hurried back to the meeting room to give the agency a quick heads-up before the meeting with Shiv.

A few minutes later we were all seated in Shiv’s office. Ignoring the poisonous looks Vile Varun was shooting in my direction, I tried to quell the growing feeling of uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. Shiv calling for an emergency meeting was a rare occurrence and I had a foreboding of not-so-good times ahead. I could see Suketu’s face mirroring my feelings as he nervously tapped his fingers on the glass-topped conference table in the middle of the room.

‘Right,’ Shiv said brusquely, snapping his cellphone shut as he walked up to the table from his desk. He had just concluded an ominous conversation in terse, low tones. ‘Bad news, guys,’ he began in his trademark cut-to-the-chase style. ‘Like I said earlier, I have been more than a little disappointed with our progress on this project. We have spent the last few months investing time, effort and energy into this launch with zero progress so far. I think it’s time now for some serious damage control. Guys, this is going to be one of our biggest launches next year and very different from anything we’ve done in the past. From being focused only on fun, taste and pleasure we are now venturing for the first time into functionality—biscuits that are good for your brain! It goes without saying that we can’t afford to take any chances with this launch. That’s why I have decided that we need to get a new creative team for this launch. I understand that you guys are currently overloaded with work across our other brands as well. This will give you a breather, while also allowing us to get some fresh perspective. I really think this is the best decision for all of us.’

I heard a sharp hiss and turned around to see Vile Varun looking like a volcano on the brink of eruption. I could almost read his thoughts. A change of creative team was a big deal, and not just for the agency. It didn’t speak too well for the brand team on the project either. Which meant Varun and me. Or, more aptly, just me, since this was my project and Varun had been only too keen to wash his hands of it right from the start. It was not a pleasant thought and the uneasy feeling I’d been trying to fight off resurfaced in a fresh wave.

The creative team, on the other hand, was looking rather relieved. Shiv was right. The poor guys were pretty overloaded with work in overdrive across all the GF brands, and the string of failures on Bright Biscuits had done nothing to boost their morale. It was probably a huge load off their backs, even though it had been a prestigious project to work on. Suketu, however, looked like he had been slapped across the face. He was staring at Shiv now, glassy eyed, with a look of disbelief and despair.