IPKKND SS: The Third Kind (Ch. 4, p. 16) UPD: 6/03

Prologue

"Amma?"

Khushi looked up, her face immediately softening into a smile at the sight of her 16-year-old son. He was standing there with a paper and pen in his hand, a serious expression on his handsome face, so like his father's. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked towards him, an eyebrow quirked in inquiry. Her husband had an uncanny ability to do just that, but it had taken Khushi years and years of practice to finally perfect the art of raising just one eyebrow.

"Amma, I have this paper I need to do for school and I was wondering if you could help me."

"Of course, beta. What is it?"

"It's an assignment for my philosophy class. I have to characterize the world into two groups of people and I have no idea where to start. Do you have any suggestions?"

"You know, Aarav, I always thought there were two kinds of people in the world."

Khushi paused and her son listened intently, the paper and pen abandoned as he realized there was a greater story to this simple statement. Aarav instinctively glanced at the portrait that had a place of honor on their mantle. Would he finally discover who that person was? The young man in question was smiling and the laughter reached up into his deep brown eyes. He had an air of happiness about him, as though there was nothing that could shake his optimism. He turned his attention back to his mother, who had slowly begun speaking again.

"I always thought there were two kinds of people in the world... Those who went to their deaths screaming and those who went to their deaths in silence. But then I met the third kind."