The bespectacled Emon's come a long way. From vocals and guitars -- plus an occasional turn at the drums -- for high school band Evil Rockers, the soft-spoken lad is now one of the Idol favourites, merrily strumming an acoustic guitar for his fellow rivals.

"I've performed before, so the stage isn't that much of an adjustment for me," he says, underplaying his 300 stage shows. "But here, I'm singing in front of such great names. It's incredible."

His publisher father and housewife mother, have both always goaded Emon ahead. "They've always indulged and encouraged me. My father is an excellent singer and my mother is just such an inspiring personality. And from a very young age, they taught me to focus on my passions," he says. "They said in today's day, there is no place for the mediocre. You have to be at the top, or very near the top."

Right now, he accepts the surreality of instant success. "It's like crossing a river," he muses philosophically, liberally using sing-song phrases. "I was on one side, and these celebrities were on the other. And now I'm here, talking to them, shaking hands with them, singing with them. I don't get time to think all day -- shootings, rehearsals, songs -- but at night, I lie back and think about how my life has changed. And Indian Idol's been like a bridge for me. I would have swum and crossed the river, I would have been a versatile playback singer either way, but Indian Idol helped me get to this position faster."

He misses his friends, rattling off a list of names, notably Akash Aggarwal, who stayed up all night to make sure Emon got registered for the Idol auditions. And there's visible affection as he talks about his folks, who've never let him get too full of himself. "There are times I could see dad longing to say I've sung very well, but he wouldn't. And I would look at him and laugh. Even now, they say look at Ankita's performance, listen to the way Amit's singing."

He loves staying with the other hopefuls, but has consciously tried to keep a distance 'because we're so close now that it'll be really sad to see any of them leave.'

But detachment isn't that easy, and Emon's utterly fascinated with Deepali. "She's just a close friend. We share everything, and keep many secrets. And now the girls are being eliminated, and I'm scared for her. Last week, I was really scared. If she leaves, I don't even want to think what I'll do. We have a different connection."

And what if it's just Emon and Deepali at the end, fighting for the crown? "Oh, I see Deepali as the Indian Idol. She's a really deserving candidate, a very versatile singer. I don't mind if she wins, definitely. I mean it from the core of my heart."

Meet Deepali and the other three finalists in the second part of our Idol series.

Also Read: Rahul Vaidya on life after Indian Idol

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