Dorks are happier, what about you?

I barely caught a glimpse of him. But I was strangely happy. Happy that I knew all the words, knew every memory attached to every song, knew that this was special, no matter what.

I remembered a rainy evening, when I plugged up the stereo to this dubious plug point in my verandah, put it on full volume and listened to Everything I do, I do it for you - mainly because I wanted my hot neighbour on the 2nd floor to hear it. You know, so that he knew I was 'with it', and listened to a lot of English music. I was twelve or something, and these things mattered.

Bryan Adams was perfect. He wasn't The Beatles or Carpenters or Cliff Richard - the stuff my parents would hear and go "oho, amader generation ki bhalo" to. He wasn't a boyband. And he was loud and semi risqué. And I understood what all the lyrics (more or less) meant. He made me want to pick up my badminton racket and strum. He led to Bon Jovi, GnR, Metallica, Nirvana and more. Bryan Adams was not only my introduction to rock, but my glimmer of hope in a largely angst ridden teen life.

In school, when he was performing in India, I made an elaborate plan to run away and catch the concert in Bangalore. I'd also meet Rahul Dravid while I was at it. Haha. But I didn't have any money, nor did I have any company, so obviously, all my silly teenage dreams were turned to dust. Funny, it's almost the same now, but I am in Bombay, the tickets were free, and I had my brother with me.

I liked the fact that I went to the concert with my brother, because he's probably the only one who'd feel as nostalgic about it as I would. He'd know all the words, the riffs and solo guitar leads by heart. The cassettes are worn beyond repair, we've heard them so many fucking times.

"I wouldn't have survived college if it weren't for Bryan Adams" he said while we were singing along with shameless joy to "Back to You". I don't think I'd survive being 13 if it weren't for him. Admittedly, I don't hear him much these days. Make it, not at all. But I owe him much. At least, a concert. And yay. :)