The market research in which we had tested the script had got a fabulous response with kids in the target age group and had been declared the hands-down winner by the research agency in their final presentation. Getting internal approvals had been a cakewalk after that, and over the last few weeks the focus had shifted to the ad film shoot. Once this was done, I thought to myself, it would all be over. After the film tapes were handed over to the media team all that remained for me to do was sit back and watch how the ad was received by consumers. And mull over my own future.

Over the last few weeks I had had a long and hard think, just like Sammy had advised me, and I had come to the conclusion that I needed to have a discussion with Shiv about my future career plans. There was no point discussing it with Vile Varun—he’d just have a hissy fit and direct me towards the nearest psychiatrist. I was a little apprehensive about the impending discussion with Shiv as well but it was a chance I had to take. The last couple of weeks had just reinforced what I had known all along—creative work was what I really wanted to do. The script that I had worked on with Neil and Shubhra had been declared the unanimous winner and both of them had told me that I had great potential if I ever chose to make the switch to the creative side. They had meant it as a joke of course, not knowing what had been going around in circles in my mind for months now, but they had hit the nail on the head. My heart was in the creative field and in more ways than one. I stole a glance at Yudi who was sitting a few metres away, having a serious discussion with the director about the next few frames that we needed to shoot. Ever since the near fiasco with the Delhi research, relations between Yudi and me had thawed considerably. True to his word, he had attended quite a bit of the research across cities along with Neil, Shubhra, Suketu and me and had given us some brilliant inputs when we finally began work on conceptualizing the film. He had been heavily involved in all of the work post that as well, staying up nights and getting to work at 5 a.m. one morning for some urgent approvals that we needed on the script. And now he was with us at the shoot, ensuring that every frame was perfect, even if it meant forgoing breakfast and lunch and being on his toes all day. I must have been sending out telepathic vibes for Yudi turned around suddenly, looked at me squarely in the eyes and smiled one of his unfathomable smiles. Caught with my guard down, with a look on my face that was like a cross between a devoted puppy and a halfwit, I turned beet red and moved away.