The Digital Ghost: Building the Brand I’m Not Part Of

My name is Arjun, and I am the man behind the filter.

I live in Bangalore, and for the last year, I’ve been the "social media manager" for Ananya’s lifestyle brand. The reality? I do everything. I edit her photos to perfection, I write the captions that make her sound deep and soulful, and I respond to the thousands of comments from men who think they have a chance with her.

I work for free. I tell myself it’s "experience," but the truth is I just want to stay in her orbit. I spent all of last weekend editing a video of her solo trip to the mountains—a trip I planned, but wasn't invited to.

"Arjun, you made me look like a star," she told me over a video call, her smile lighting up my dark bedroom. "I couldn't do any of this without you."

That’s my "high." But yesterday, she hit a million followers. She threw a massive party at a rooftop lounge. I wasn't on the guest list. I sat at home, watching the "live" feed I’d helped her set up, seeing her take credit for the "aesthetic" I created. She introduced a new guy as her "Creative Director"—a handsome model who doesn't know the first thing about editing. I stayed up until 3:00 AM moderating the hate comments on that post so she wouldn't have to see them. I am the architect of her fame, and I’m happy to stay in the dark as long as she stays in the light.