“No problem. I mean, I’ve been taking forever with your stuff too. It’s just this one has a tight deadline, you know.” He barked out a short laugh, and Meghna gritted her teeth.
“Right. Well, I had a chance to read through it, and it’s…different from your usual songs.”
The line was quiet for a few seconds. “Different in a good way or…”
“Umm. Just different.” Meghna decided to change tack. “What parts of the song are you most looking forward to singing to Julie?”
He asked for a moment so he could pull up the lyrics, then went quiet as he presumably read through it. “All of it, I guess.”
Meghna closed her eyes. “I think it might be worth thinking through exactly what you want to tell her with this song and then maybe taking another stab at it.”
“You want me to start over?” he asked, genuine surprise in his voice.
“Not necessarily,” she hedged. “Maybe just reflect for a bit before revising. Or start over if you think that’s easier.” He had given her similar advice over the years. Whenever a scene wasn’t working and she just couldn’t figure out why, it often helped to start from scratch, to go back to a clean slate. But though she’d benefited from that advice, she’d never suggested that he do the same. She’d never thought his songs had needed it.
“So, you hate it,” he said flatly.
“No, not at all. I just…You’re a great writer, Seth. And I think you’re capable of more.”
He was silent for a bit. Then a loud huff of breath traveled through the phone. “Okay. Well, thanks. And thanks for the feedback.”
The call clicked, signaling it was over, and Meghna stared at her phone in confusion. Had he just hung up on her?
He’d never done that before. He’d never responded to feedbackfrom her that way. He tended to be a little sensitive, to pout a bit when she delivered constructive criticism, but she’d never seen him truly get upset. Or react like this. Maybe she’d been too blunt. Maybe she’d hurt his feelings. She felt an overwhelming urge to call him back and apologize, but resisted, thinking it over for a moment. Seth had asked her for her opinion, and she’d given it. Nicely. Far more nicely than he had given feedback to her over the years.
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had done something wrong. She almost called Seth back, but changed her mind at the last second, scrolling to a different name in her phone. It rang a few times, and her heart thudded for a moment. Then Karthik answered.
His voice was deep and urgent. “Meghna, what’s wrong?”
“Wrong? Nothing. Why?”
“I wasn’t expecting a call from you. Sorry, I just assumed it was an emergency or…” Karthik cleared his throat. “How are you doing?”
“Fine. I’m fine.”
“Good. Me too.”
She waited a second, then blurted it out in a rush. “I told Seth.”
“Told him…”
“About the song.”
“Ah.” There was some rustling, as if he was moving around, then the creak and click of a door closing. “How did it go?”
“Not great. He…” She let out a small, disbelieving laugh. “He hung up on me.”
“Hewhat?” The words were harsh. And a bit angry?
“Yeah. It could have been an accident, but—”
“I doubt that.”
“I think I hurt his feelings.”
He exhaled a loud breath. “What did you tell him?”
“That he should think through some things and try revising. Or starting over.”
