Aldrea and Dak, Part One

Aldrea is an Andalite. Dak is Hork-Bajir. Their home planets are thousands of light-years apart. Yet they loved each other, and died together.

Theirs was NOT the kind of love that defied boundaries of spacetime, hatred and mistrust between the races of the galaxy, or even their own personal differences. It was a love that embraced all these things. That is, after all, the point of love: not to defy, but to embrace. They lied to each other, mistrusted each other, resented each others' races and people, and even hated each other sometimes. But they loved each other: not despite all that, but because of it. It is not love if it fails to make you feel bad about yourself at some point of time. That which doesn't show you who you are by pointing out your strengths as well as your weaknesses, is not love. And therefore, Dak and Aldrea loved each other. =]

Dak and Aldrea saw each other as they truly were, and with time, understood, helped and learned from each other. Dak was, at first, enamored by Aldrea's Andalite intelligence and the world she had in store for him. She told him stories from across the galaxy, of all the different races and species that inhabited it. She told him of the technology of the Andalites, of how one could travel through Zero-space or morph into any other creature by just acquiring its DNA. He began to worhsip intelligence, and was embarassed by his own "stupid, simplistic" people. He put all his belief in a benevolent galaxy. And a Hork-Bajir has a great amount of belief. All of it, or almost all of it, broke down the moment Dak realized that the galaxy was actually at war, and that he and his brothers needed to become ruthless, mistrusting mercenaries and killers in order to survive. And what's more, he found that Aldrea already was one.

Aldrea then told him also of the Yeerks, a race of slugs that invade the brains of other sentinent species and take over their bodies and planets. A Yeerk-controlled person was no different from a normal person in terms of outward appearance and behaviour. But the slug inside had total control over whatever it infested. In the course of this war, Dak found that everyone around him had used him and his people for their own purposes all along. As a direct result of his disillusionment, he began to mistrust Aldrea, and his respect for her was punctured. He saw what the Andalites really were. What Aldrea was.

~~~

"When the battle begins I will race for the closest parked spacecraft," I explained. "The most important thing is that we get a message out to the Andalite fleet. Everything rests on that. It will be upto you to carry on the battle once it has started. You must not weaken. Attack, attack, attack. Don't give the Yeerks a chance to re-group. Don't forget: The Hork-Bajir in that camp are not Hork-Bajir. They are Yeerks."

Dak nodded his horned head. "Have you fought in many battles, Aldrea?"

I was surprised by the question. "No. Of course not. But I have studied -"

"Have you ever killed a fellow Andalite?"

"No! Why would you -"

"You ask me to kill my own people today and to lead my people in killing their brothers," Dak said. "You say they are not Hork-Bajir, but Yeerks. But when the dead have given up their souls to Mother Sky, there will be Hork-Bajir bodies lying dead."

"Dak, we've been over this and over this!" I exploded. "It's too late to be worrying about all that. This is a war! If you want your people to survive, you will -"

"Be quiet, Aldrea," Dak said. He didn't shout. He said it calmly, in a low voice. "These are my people who will die today. Be quiet, Andalite. Be quiet."

~~~

"Will you allow us to enter?" I asked.

"Listen to me, genius, this isn't a place for you. Why don't you go find some tree branches to chew on?"

Genius. It was one of the several sneering terms the Andalite warriors had for Hork-Bajir. I ignored it.

"Listen, you - " Aldrea began to yell.

I cut her off. "Simple question, friends. Will you allow us to enter? It only requires a yes or no answer. Yes or no?"

"Move along," the warrior said coldly.

I turned and walked away. Aldrea came up beside me.

"I guess you have to expect that. The rudeness, I mean. These warriors are under constant pressure, constant danger, far from home. They aren't always going to be very sensitive."

"Their insults mean nothing," I lied. "The fact that they are hiding something means something."

"Let's ask Alloran."

"No. He gave the orders to guard that place. I guess we'll have to forget about it."

Aldrea jumped ahead and blocked me. "Don't lie to me, Dak. You're going to try and find out what's in there. You just don't trust me to help you."

I was determined to remain calm. But I wasn't able. Instead I shouted. "We have fought side by side with your people and you Andalites still treat us like inferiors! Like errand-runners or servants or like idiot clowns to amuse you!"

"They didn't know who you are," Aldrea said. "They figured you were just some regular Hork-Bajir."

"Ah, yes. They assumed I was just one of the stupid Hork-Bajir. The simpleminded Hork-Bajir. The expendable, irrelevant, foolish Hork-Bajir."

"That's not what I meant."

"Of course it's what you meant," I said bitterly. "You Andalites have more respect for the vicious Yeerks or the cowardly Arn than you have for the Hork-Bajir who fight and die at your sides. All that matters to your people is intelligence. Well, I've learned enough about Yeerk and Andalite and Arn intelligence to make me sick."

"You're upset. I understand that."

I laughed. "You almighty Andalites. There is no limit to your arrogance, is there? Well, let me tell you something: We may be simple people. But we don't use biology to invent monsters. And we don't enslave other species. And we don't unleash a plague of parasites on the galaxy, endangering every other free species, and then go swaggering around like lords of the universe. No, we're too simple for all that. We're too stupid to lie and manipulate. We're too stupid to be ruthless. We're too stupid to know how to build powerful weapons designed to annihilate our enemies. Until you came, Andalite, we were too stupid to know how to kill."

"That's quite a speech," Aldrea said softly. "You've been wanting to say all that for a long time, haven't you?"

The anger had burned itself out. I felt hollow. Not better, not relieved. Just empty and tired. "We were peaceful people, tending to our trees, ignorant of our creators. Unaware of everyone else in the galaxy. Now look at us. Now look what has become of us. The despised children of the Arn. Slaves of the Yeerks. Tools of the Andalites."

Aldrea stood close to me and pressed her upper body against my chest. I put my arm carefully around her shoulders. We stood there on the walkway for a long time, blind to all who passed.

"I will help you find out what they are hiding," Aldrea said. "Tonight, when the Arn are asleep."

"You can't go against your own people," I said.

She looked at me then, with all her eyes. "Dak, I hope it never comes to a choice between my people and ... and you. But if it does, I'll stand with you."

I smiled. I appreciated what she'd said. But I didn't believe it.

~~~

Get thee behind me, IB

Did I study hard for the IB exams? I definitely studied. I definitely stuck to my study plan a hundred times harder than ever before. I definitely tried my hardest ever to study for these exams. Why? Because they were the last ! ! ! =D They would, like it or not, be looked upon as a culmination of my four love/hate, hellish years. These four years are the only time when the whole entire world demands that you prove yourself. Phew. Now, THAT'S over. =D

My precise results and the story behind them. A comprehensive analysis/ranting/gushing.

Economics Higher Level - 7

This I owe to myself and my extremely sweet teacher, Mr. Naveen Tom. I worked hard on the commentaries (albeit only on the previous night), and took part in class. I loved it. I loved sitting on the last-ish bench, and trying to get myself heard amidst economics giants and powerhouses Aashish Chaturvedi, Parikshit Kabra, Aadarsh Chhabria, Sujay Ravikumar, and who can forget the Harvard [summer school] economist Amahl Anand. Aaand Nikita Agrawal. (Only, her voice was as faint as mine.) =] Thanks go to Mr. Naveen, who always smiled at me. Thank you sir! That really helped. Really, I'm being very candid here. I'm serious.

Mathematics Higher Level - 6

I got a 6 because I screwed up Paper 3, I'm utterly positive about that. Mr. Sudarshan, sir, I'm sorry. I promise you I really worked hard. I thought the last problem was something much tougher than it actually was, and I solved the self-made tough problem, wasted time on it, and didn't go back to the 5 marks I'd left. Sir, I really understood everything you taught us in class, and I enjoyed all of it, even when I couldn't keep up. =] Thank you for everything I learnt from you. =]

Physics Higher Level - 6

=D Well. Um. All I have to say is ---- I enjoyed astrophysics, really-really. Like, totally. I'm so going to take a course on it in college. That's about it. I didn't like the rest of Physics HL, and I never should've taken it. I thought I was Miss Physics, and that thought might well have cost me a chunk of my career in writing, or in economics, or in theatre. Never will I make the mistake of thinking I'm good at what I fancy being good at. =] Or the mistake of neglecting something I'm not great at.

German ab initio - 7

Thank you, Miss Susan, for talking German in class, forcing us to do the same, and for appreciating me! =] I love German, and will pursue it. Then I'll move on to Russian, which I have always wanted to learn. I am so thankful I took German. It's taught me so much about English, Hindi, languages in general, European names, and certain nice little linguistic and social trends in Europe.

Chemistry Standard Level - 7

I never had anything special for Chemistry, but I never minded learning it. =] It was pretty good, I guess. Some things are cute, like the Periodic Table. That is the single, most amazing thing in my entire Chem text. No, wait. I loved Periodic-Table chemistry. That part of Chem I really loved. One day, I may want to hear each element's story, and maybe that day I will come back to Chem. But for now, it's bye-bye. =] And Ms. Prabha! =D Thanks so much for everything: for the teaching, and the constant encouragement you gave us. Also, not to mention, Chemistry class was the home of many cute jokes from Aadi. =]

English Standard Level - 7

*Sniff. *Sniff. *Wipes eyes. I'm so proud. =] This was my funnest class EVER. EVER. I'm serious. Miss Adina, you know we'll be friends for like EVER. You have no idea how much I learnt in your class, or what exactly I learnt. I learnt to do better what I do best - to take in, to absorb, to feel, to love, to play with, to understand, to honour everything in a certain book, or a certain world. =] Too high-flown-sounding? It's true. =] Ask Miss Adina, she'll tell you. =D

Extended Essay in English - A

Ever since the beginning of the 11th grade I had nurtured the idea of doing an EE in Economics. I couldn't wait. But in the last minute, I decided to do it in English, because I loved it so much and I was having so much fun in class. It was the class that I most looked forward to, throughout my life at TISB. Thanks a lot, God, for not stopping me by planting useless doubts in my mind about my choice. It led to an A!!!!! =D Miss Adina, Mr Colin, WE DID IT!! =D And thank YOU, extended essay, for introducing me to Mr Colin-the-English-teacher, who is impossible to describe or thank enough. =]

Theory of Knowledge - C

...................... =D

Um. Hehe. Welll...........

I really learnt from TOK, though it doesn't seem like it. Go ahead, laugh if you want. But, after TOK, I can now think of many possible solutions to a problem, many viewpoints on an issue, many flaws in a generalization, many useless analytical metaphorical thoughts about a simple object, and many, many different ways to convey the point: "You can never say." Thanks, Mr Colin. =]

Huh. Well. Now that the exhaustive typing is over, I would like to... to... end on a nice note. The IB was fun. It was. Admit it, it was. =] I'm glad I did the IB! =D

Love Poem, featuring MIKEY!! =]

=]

i hope the smiley which is the name of this file

has made you smile

for a while

i know this poem is lame

but im your dame

and pretty soon ill have your name

in my name

i dont know what to do

without you

i feel very blue

and when i think of you

i slip into bliss

and all i want is a kiss

but you're not there

and i just stare

into the air

i feel like calling you up

to ask you wassup

and i want to quickly grow up

and be your dame

with your name

and when we're both free

we'll be

together and happy

just you and me

just like our smiley

=]

Yeah, I'm free.....free-falling =)

Sorry Noodle, for not having shared my thoughts on this blog for a long time. As you know I was too *preoccupied* with other stuff =p.
Well, my life (over the past one month) has been like an unserviced car (imagine Archie's jeep, or is it a jeep?) The going's been pretty tough and I AM one to mince words so it's been worse than it should have been. However, I'm coming out of this phase, I think, and I feel pretty pepped up to DO something. To make everything WORK. Besides there's our beloved pet project, Osake (which I feel guilty to say is progressing at sloth's pace) to focus my energies on and also my Japanese! =)
This is what i feel like doing, and this is what I'm going to do- let go. Just that. Be what I want to be. I'm not going to adhere to any stereotypes of "Anjali". Someone said that with every second, a new you is born. I believe this, because with every passing moment, something is learnt. And with every new piece of information, something in your brain clicks, something repositions itself, something flips, something sleeps. But there is change.
So many things to do in so little time! YAY!