I exchanged a few pleasantries with Chetan and did a quick check to see if everything was in place, before he ushered us into the little room where Yudi and I would spend the rest of the day observing the research participants on CCTV. The narrow room had barely enough place for the tiny bed that had been stuffed into it and I shot an awkward glance at Yudi. There was barely enough space on that little bed for either one of us, even if you removed the large glittering pillows it had been adorned with. I was wondering whether I should ask Chetan to squeeze a chair in as well, when Yudi deftly bunched up a few pillows, placed them on the floor and sat down on them cross-legged.

‘Will you be comfortable there?’ I asked him tentatively, and was about to offer to take his place, but Yudi just nodded briefly without even glancing at me. He had metamorphosed into full professional mode and was observing the research participants with a look of rapt attention, a funky-looking pencil poised over his open notepad. I sat down on the bed and pulled out my own notebook, trying to shut out all Yudi-related thoughts from my mind.

For the next couple of hours we watched the focus groups progress in complete silence, only exchanging the occasional jubilant glance when the kids said something particularly flattering about the Bright Biscuits film. The film was a big hit with both the kids and the moms and by the time the session ended I needed a helicopter to airlift me off the cloud of joy I was soaring on. ‘It’s a hit!’ I whooped triumphantly as soon as the CCTV was turned off and did a merry jig around the room, only to see Yudi and Chetan, who had come in to ask if everything had gone off well, looking at me with highly amused expressions.

‘Our film is a super hit!’ I whooped again and high-fived Yudi and then Chetan, who looked scandalized at this blatant lack of decorum by a client.

‘Hold your horses, you impulsive little firecracker!’ laughed Yudi. ‘The initial signs are fantastic, but let the film go on air first, okay?’

‘Oh, stop sounding like Vile Varun!’ I snapped. ‘Why can’t you just enjoy this moment? We’ve worked so hard for this!’

I paused, realizing how rude I had sounded but Yudi was just looking very amused. ‘Vile Varun?’ he cocked an eyebrow at me. I flushed and then suddenly felt very defensive as I remembered some of Varun’s acrimonious comments during the appraisal. ‘He is vile; he’s just lucky I haven’t chopped him into little pieces and fed him to wild dogs yet!’

Chetan visibly blanched as I said this and I realized I was on my way to creating a new record in the history of career-limiting moves. ‘Umm, you know I’m just joking, right Chetan?’

‘Glad you clarified that!’ Yudi chuckled, dodging neatly as I flung my pen at him.