Dear Ed Sheeran,
Someone told me, always say what's on your mind and I am only being honest with you... When I listened to "Bibia Be Ye Ye" for the first time, I knew everything will be alright, eventually and my problems will be solved. It was as if you were talking to me, yourself and consoling me during difficult times.
Ed, your songs have been special to me and I cannot be grateful enough. My heart is filled with love and content for you. However, your songs were foreign to me until "Supermarket Flowers" released and it was an instant connection of vulnerability, honesty and soulfulness when your song played through my earphones and I couldn't hold back my tears.
It was sometime after my grandmother had passed away... She was my roommate, the Tom to my Jerry, best friend, teacher and so much more. We had a love-hate relationship which was full of teasing each other, my sarcastic comebacks and her swearing in my mother tongue, Sindhi, watching stupid soap operas et al. The best part was the bedtime stories that I wouldn't and couldn't sleep without. No doubt, stories have been a significant part of my life since childhood.
Anyway, coming back… I remember listening to it and instantly connecting because the song took me down a memory lane which not only filled my eyes with tears but also made me feel overwhelmed and vulnerable while I experienced something unfathomable… it was more of a bittersweet feeling, a living oxymoron.
Much later, I watched the video on YouTube and found out that it is dedicated to your grandmother, too. An unsaid bond of friendship had been built and since then, you've been my 'go to' friend, no matter what I'm feeling, be it "I found a love for me, darling just dive right in and follow my lead…", "She played the fiddle in an Irish band but she fell in love with an English man…" or "'Cause baby you look happier, you do…". The list could go on and on but one thing that remains constant is you traveling with me irrespective of what path I've chosen to walk on. I can't express how much this friendship means to me even though you have no idea of my existence or the fact that we have never spoken to or even met each other, for that matter. Yet, my phone will always end up searching for you and your songs… while we laugh along and sing "2002" with Anne Marie.
You know, sometimes I just want to listen to you speak to me and the burden feels lighter, automatically knowing that the pain is shared and the other times, I want to sing along for that is my way of acknowledging this friendship and understanding that no matter what, we will get through this together. Songs have that effect but more than that, you, your songs, your words have broken my walls and I cannot be more thankful and appreciative of that. I feel blissful, for the stars planned this friendship and destiny being the best storyteller connected your words to my plot in such a way that today, I can't help but write this 'thank you' letter to you for the friendship that we share.
And someday, Ed, I will attend your concert and sing along with you because that would be the perfect celebration of "Thinking Out Loud" knowing we found the love of our friendship right where we are.
Until then, I shall cherish our friendship through my heart and your words for that has always been enough.
A fan of your songs,
A friend from heart,
Yours truly,
Bhakti Mukhi.