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Beena Debroy, right, who also lives in rented quarters in Pradhan Cottage with her daughter Surobhi, left (they have settled here from Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, for a year so Surobhi can write her ICSE exam; there are no ICSE schools in her hometown) says, "Outwardly their life (the Tamangs') does not seem to have changed too much. They are very down to earth people. If I can afford only this one outfit (gestures to her kurta) or two, you can see that they now have more clothes to wear."
Says Sapna Pradhan, "They are very simple people. He is a very seedha ladka. Does not say much. Not much has changed. Indian Idol has only made their life much more busy and their routines have changed. But they have not changed." The Pradhans are not certain if the Tamang family plans to continue to live in Pradhan Cottage.
Much has changed for the Tamangs's neighbours though. Plenty of reporters, especially from the Nepali media, traipse down to Pradhan Cottage looking for Prashant or his family and just find a locked door.
"At least 15 to 20 journalists have come. Zee has come. Aaj Tak has come. And, of course, Sony has come," catalogues Beena Rai who seems to make it her business to keep track of events.
"It's a lucky house for them!" she emphasises. There are even plans to name the road leading to Pradhan Cottage as Prashant Road his neighbours tell you.
But fans outnumber the media any day and almost daily fans -- students, policeman and more -- pop by to see "Prashant's building." Many of these fans come all the way from Nepal and leave disappointed, but with at least a picture of his door.
Says Beena Rai, "They come from all over. Gangtok, Sikkim, Shillong, Arunachal Pradesh..."
"They hope he will be there, take pictures and go away," explains Debendra Pradhan.
Beena Rai vividly remembers the last time Tamang was in Darjeeling when he had already reached the semifinal on Indian Idol. "It was September 5 and at about 12.20 at night. We saw lights and then we saw him coming. There was dancing and a big welcome and he came home. I was wearing a maxi just like this one but I quickly got out a khada (silk cloth for garlanding, customary in these parts), rushed down, wrapped it around his neck and gave him my blessing. I had to! Garva lagta hai. One Nepali boy has become popular. Bigger than god."
The Pradhans too cannot forget Prashant's last two visits to Darjeeling. When he came to Pradhan Cottage after initially gaining a place in Indian Idol 3 he spent a lot of time in their home, playing with their seven-year-old, Loreto Convent-going daughter Sudhiksha, for whom his Zindagi Pehle Kabhi Itni Hasin Kahan song is a favourite.
But the next time he came, in September, it was pure chaos. Says Debendra, "There were at least 20,000 people standing at the Chowrasta (the main square of Darjeeling) watching him and there was no room to even squeeze past anyone. It took me an hour just to get to my home from the Chowrasta (five minutes away). And we did not get a chance to even talk to him."
The welcome Prashant received on his last trip to Darjeeling was nothing like anyone has seen before in these parts. He was literally mobbed by the enormous throngs of well-wishers for whom he was bigger than a pop star. A shy, dutiful Nepali boy from a modest family has brought more esteem to the community than any other individual in decades.
The Pradhans are certain that Prashant -- after one year doing assignments for Sony -- will eventually return to the police force and probably become the face of the police band nationally.
But there is great disappointment among the residents of Pradhan Cottage on not being to meet him since his win. "He should have come here. We want to welcome him. People are saying it would be good if he came and met with his people and those who are close to him. Why is he not coming?" asks Beena Rai.
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