I was listening to music on my phone the other day, when an obscure song by Creed began playing. Stand Here With Me. The intro struck a wave of nostalgia through me and took me back in time by five years. Or perhaps four. I can’t remember clearly. It was the first song Rahul dedicated to me. He is a big fan of Creed and their subsequent band, Alter Bridge.
I’d never listened to the song before. I remember how comical he seemed that day when he dedicated the song to me.
I was at the mobile phone store, Sangeetha, if I’m not wrong, with my dad. I bought an E63. Back then Rahul and I were heavy texters. We texted each other all day – right from Good morning until Good night, and sometimes that Good Night would come only in the morning after an all-night bout of texting. So when I bought the new phone, I wanted his first text on my phone to be something special. He never usually thinks of these “special” things. I always have to coax him into doing them. So I texted him from my brand new phone saying, “Hey! I just bought a new phone. Send me a nice first message on this phone. : )”
The genius that he is, he replied with, “Like what ya?”
Sigh. So that’s what I got for a first text message. I think I responded with, “Never mind, you’re dumb,” or something on those lines. Actually, wait. I don’t think I had the cheek to call him dumb back then. I was still in mode where I was intimidated by his intelligence in other fields like Sports, Math and Geography. I just thought aiyo and asked him to send a special second message.
He responded with the lyrics of the song “You always reached out to me, and helped me believe. All those memories we share, I will cherish every one of them. The truth of it is there’s a right way to live and you showed me. So now, you live on, in the words of a song. You’re a melody. You stand here with me. :-P”
I read the lyrics and thought Err… What? This is so cheesy, but cute I guess! But I’d be lying if I said I could relate to it. And I’m sure he couldn’t either. We had known each other for only around five months and singing about “cherishable memories,” I thought, was a bit far-fetched.
I went back home and listened to the song. The classic Mark Tremonti intro put a smile on my face. I loved the tune. But the lyrics? The second paragraph started with, “Just when fear blinded me, you taught me to dream.” Oooookkaayyyy riiight. I burst out laughing. I knew Rahul would be laughing at the idea too! He just needed to dedicate a song and he did. I just needed a special message on my new phone and I got it. But to think either of us could relate to the lyrics is absurd! We were just kids, intoxicated by the idea of a relationship. It was all about excitement for us. We hadn’t experienced anything that was remotely testing/emotional. All we did was go out to bowl at amoeba, have lunch, perhaps go for a movie and live a carefree life. That was about it. There was no fear blinding us, no dreaming to be taught.
At least back then, that was it. Now, five years later, when I listen to the song, I realize I can relate to every single line. “I’ve learnt the world is bigger than me. You’re my daily dose of reality.” Haha I sure am his daily dose of reality and I don’t know if that’s a good thing. : P “I’ll give you everything I am, and still fall short of what you’ve done for me.”
I know that when you’re in love, the lyrics of every love song will seem perfect. But this song is more than just the lyrics. This song itself is a cherishable memory.
We have gone from acquaintances to friends to being in a relationship. But I don’t think we’re in a relationship anymore. A relationship requires two people and I think we stopped being two different people a long time ago.
Happy five years, mister.
PS: It’s high time you wrote a song for me. Thanks. : P
Swat of All Trades 