Letter #6

Dear M,

It is difficult to adjust to change. More difficult to adjust with the idea that you are no longer a part of something. Even more difficult to see you being replaced by something or someone else. 

I left HOWL last month, telling them that I was going to pursue journalism. So far, it has been a dry land with no chance of any shower. And I fear this land might remain barren. 

HOWL was a strange place. It boils with the passion of young blood but it suffers from the insincerity of the same. It has the potential to overthrow legends such as Ogilvy or Madison or JWT but it lacks the discipline. It parties too hard and works in chaos. It is a ship with massive holes in it and I fear it will sink too soon, way before its time. 

Although I hope it doesn't. I truly enjoyed my run there, especially during the last three months. Things were gearing up and I was learning a lot. Turns out everyone was right. Talent alone isn't appealing enough, and HOWL shoved that concept down my throat on the very first day. True, I was a better writer, a better person, more read than everyone there. But what I lacked was good presentation and that is an essential in advertising. It is like the salt for your food. Without it every brand will appear too boring too appeal. Thus, too insignificant to make its way into your bedroom. And HOWL was hell bent on entering the bedroom of every client there is. Because it was taking advertising an edge further. It was making advertising digital. Which meant an incessant flood of contents at any given time of the day, with original copies. 

I suddenly realised how lucky I was when you were around. You would call me attractive "very attractive" even when I would arrive at your doorstep in my dirty clothes and roughly tied hair. At HOWL, that was not acceptable. No one ever said anything about it but the little glares underneath the table made a lot of impact. 

For good or for worse, ever since I have made sure that I look good - at least on paper. Hence, I have a portfolio in the form of a presentation, I speak at length about everything that I have ever worked on during my interviews, I ensure that I always ask questions "no matter how stupid they are" and finally, I try to speak loudly but not too loudly. 

HOWL did teach me a lot. And the most important thing that it taught me was this. To live in Bombay you have to behave like you live in Bombay. There has to be a sufficient amount of effort and you should be willing to pay the price. Don't worry, it won't ask you trade your virtue...it will only ask to put a good balance between virtue and lust, and you are all set to go. 

Sadly, today I saw my email ID being replaced by a younger girl's who recently joined HOWL. And I am on my way to lead a team of writer at an upcoming start-up and also write stories on the side. 

And yes, live a very Bombay life. I wish I could walk down the city with you, once. 

With love. Always.