I am War! – Aklant Das

Reflectionist Aklant Das (MBA DSDA 2020-2022)

Hi! I am “WAR”. What! Are you taken aback? Well, let me tell you a little secret: every word in a dictionary is alive and has feelings. Although I was first mentioned in literature or given a name in the 12th century, I am certain that I existed long before that. I don’t recall much before the existence of a species called “Human.” They are the best; they are so sophisticated and see themselves as the apex of the specific race that they are unquestionably both my “Mom” and “Dad” or “God” or “God by other names” or “cause for my continuous existence.”

Let me introduce you to my best buddy, “SKY”, who has always been there beside me or should I say, “above” me. And I am sure will continue to be there until parents exist. However, I occasionally become enraged with my buddy for laughing at my creators while I am being summoned by them. It labels them as “foolish,” “naive,” and even “killers of their own kind.” When I become furious and defend them by claiming that “humans” are intelligent and smart, it responds, “How can they kill themselves for a piece of land or for being a little different from one another, when they do not all belong to the same species?” I say “Buddy, you won’t understand, we won’t understand, they must be having some valid reasons.” Then “SKY” responds, “Only you will comprehend my words when you watch it from a third-person perspective, as I have always done and will continue to do from above!” He’s also irritated by how the smokes emitted while I’m with humans are slowly killing him.

I used to avoid his talks, but now I understand what he was trying to say and why he said it the way he did. I can never be a third-person or third-being like “SKY,” but I’m tired of all the catastrophes I’ve witnessed. As I stated at the outset, every word in the dictionary elicits emotions unlike their “meaning”, so it’s no surprise that I can’t take it anymore. Don’t ever think I’m alone; I’ve always had numerous friends, including “DEVASTATION,” “MURDERS,” “GENOCIDE,” “HATRED,” and others. It’s not about “loneliness,” but about how much a being can endure, or how long it can
suffer the same barbaric thing, thus it’s about “resilience of will.”

I also wish to make friends with some new beings, such as “LOVE,” “SMILE,” “ENJOY,” and others, but my parents insist that if I want to be friends with them or live with them, I must first vanish. They say that I can’t “exist” with them. But, to be honest, I’m exhausted from everything and want to sleep forever, hibernate for the rest of my life. Alternatively, I respectfully beg that you all marry me to my beloved “COLD” and rename me “COLD-WAR,” so that I will not be subjected to the same catastrophes as previously. With this, my lord, or should I say, my parents, I rest my case!