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"You know there isn't a chance, don't you?" Ajai said, as he followed her down the corridor.

"I don't know anything of the sort," she snapped back, turning in to the door at the far right. "We have one hour to go, people, one hour!" she yelled.

Some of the artists whistled or cheered in response, others, intent on their work, ignored her shout.

"Rachna," Ajai pleaded, "Rachna, there is NO WAY the client is going to approve a 21-ad campaign. He wants five ads, Rachna, five. Twenty-one ads is so waaay over five ..."

"Exactly." Her eyes were bright and looked directly into his. "Exactly. The client wants to reach for the tree-tops. We're giving him something that'll take his brand to the stars, Ajai. He wants to be the market leader in our state. We're going to take him to the top in – forget the country – the whole WORLD. We'll put his company on the global map, Ajai. And this campaign can do it."

"Twenty-one ads, Rachna? Twenty-one? He wanted five."

"Ajai, you're tired because it's past midnight and you've put in a couple of all-nighters already. If your brain hadn't been muddled by lack of sleep, you'd see the brilliance of this campaign. Look at all those artists, bless them, the whole studio ditching their other campaigns and giving a hand on this one. They can see it's a winner, and they're the ones with the grassroots experience."

"But how the heck am I going to begin my presentation? I'm catching a flight in two hours and presenting in another three. What'll I say? 'Good morning, members of the committee. In response to your request for five ads, here's a brilliant 21-ad campaign we've cooked up ...'"

"Ajai, listen. Will you do me a big favour?"

"You mean bigger than a few dozen extra advertisements?"

"Will you take Tara with you?"

"I am sleepy. I thought I heard you say take Tara with me. Must be dreaming."

"I did say take Tara with you."

"But what's Tara ..."

"She's young."

"Precisely. She's a trainee artist, joined day-before-yesterday. What'll she do on the biggest ..."

"Ajai, listen. She's the age group of their target audience, and she's bloody excited about this campaign. Peep in to the studio, watch her working. See the way she's darting from the advertisement she's on to the ones the others are on and making the connections. Let her present the campaign."

"You, Rachna, have now officially gone nuts. Let an employee of two days' standing present the biggest ..."

"We're reaching for the stars, Ajai. We have to leap from the tree-tops. I'm going to call Tara's parents for their permission and you're going to take her with you."

"She still such a baby she needs parental permission to travel?"

"It's courtesy, Ajai. Hey, Vivek, be a sweetheart and book Tara on to the same flight as Ajai, won't you? Don't gape like that. Yes, Tara. Yes, flight. Yes, Tara is going on the flight with Ajai. This one, yes, the one he goes on now. Get to it or the plane'll take off before you've made the call."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how NEEKE became the leading brand of shoes in the world.