When John Abraham announced the verdict, Prashant could not hold back his tears. But he made sure his close friend and runner up Amit Paul shared his glory on stage.

In this interview, the 24-year old constable from Darjeeling talks to Patcy N about the journey that culminated into this final, unforgettable moment.

When my name was declared as the winner of Indian Idol 3, the first thought that came to my mind was how happy those people who voted and cheered for me would be. They must surely be feeling proud of me today. I guess I have live upto their expectations.

I hail from a small village called Tungsung in Darjeeling. My dad passed away in 1992 and it was up to me to take care of my mother and two elder sisters. At that time, I was preparing for my Standard 10 examinations. I got a call to join the police force (my father was in the Kolkata police force at the time of death) in 2002. That spelled an end to my studies.

Photographs: Reuben NV