‘You weren’t even there for any of the launch conferences, Varun! You know just as well as I do that your involvement in this project has been negligible at best!’ I said, as calmly as possible.

Varun gave me an oily smile. ‘Some of us prefer to work behind the scenes, Megha. Just because I don’t share your liking for constantly being at the centre of attention doesn’t mean that I haven’t contributed to the project.’

I felt the top of my head blow off as the long-suppressed anger in me burst out in full force. ‘How dare you, Varun?’ I spewed, my voice shaking with rage. ‘How dare you just sit there and lie through your teeth? I have done all the work on this project and you know that! You just want to take credit for it now because it’s such a big success.’

‘Cut it out, guys! We’re straying from the point,’ Shiv snapped and I froze. ‘Megha, the point is that you were clearly in the wrong by getting involved the way you did in the creative work on this project. In fact, some of the team members had issues with your involvement too, but you chose to ignore that. Am I correct?’

I didn’t say anything and Shiv went on. ‘We can’t afford to set precedents like this, Megha. It is way too dangerous. Brand managers always have to toe a fine line between taking a healthy interest in creative work and getting too closely involved in it. In your case it is clear that you crossed that line. We already have a baggage of certain senior people in this organization who fancy themselves to be creative geniuses and we have suffered in the past because of that.’

He shot a sidelong glance as he spoke at the cabin next to his where Puru sat, and sighed. ‘I can’t afford to set a precedent like this in my own team, Megha. What makes it worse is that certain people in your team have been uncomfortable with your involvement too and they don’t feel comfortable letting the situation go on the way it has.’

‘But who are these people, Shiv?’ I said in desperation. ‘Who is so uncomfortable that they didn’t even care to discuss this with me first?’

‘I really don’t think this is the time to get into name-telling, Megha,’ Shiv sighed again. ‘Look, let’s all meet after the conference is over, okay? By then, we’d have all had some time to sleep over this and think it through a little better. Right now is probably the worst time to be discussing this, what with the conference coming up tomorrow and all the stress on the new Dinky Chips film. I can barely think straight myself. The thing is, Megha, I really don’t think you should present tomorrow. Word spreads fast in GF and, like I said, we don’t want to set any precedents. Already people are buzzing with all the wrong kinds of ideas, thanks to the grapevine. Since we have a slot for the presentation, I suggest we let Varun take over for tomorrow.’