It is a Thursday evening, and the time on Smitha’s phone says 08:28 p.m. She goes back to staring at her laptop, fazed by the message “Build Failed”. She knew that the magic phrases “git pull, git merge” were taboo late in the evening, and yet she dared to execute it. “Oh God!” she exclaims, frustrated and disheartened by her impatience, she closes her laptop and decides to deal with this tomorrow. [Battle score- Smitha:0 | Universe:1]

Smitha took a moment to survey her surroundings—an almost empty office, with a few of her team members still diligently working. This was a familiar sight in the bustling startup world. As her gaze wandered, she noticed the cityscape beyond the window, adorned with shimmering lights. Feeling a void, she packed her bag, preparing to depart from the tech campus. Saying her goodbyes to the remaining colleagues, Smitha started her walk home.

Smitha lives quite far away from her parents, in a tiny, barely furnished apartment that is only 10 minutes away from work. She chose the place for its convenience and cost. “What a tiring day.”, she thinks to herself. As her mind drifts towards the chores that lie ahead of her, she decides to buy dinner on her way back. Once back in her apartment, she settles down on her bed and opens her container with egg-fried rice. Laid back against the wall, she switches on Netflix, seeking an evening of relaxation.

It is now half past midnight, and Smitha has decided to go to sleep. She gets up to switch off the lights, but before she can do so, something catches her eye. There is a giant flying cockroach on the bedroom wall. Scared, she runs out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Smitha is now contemplating her choices. One option is to sleep in the Hall – which is barely furnished besides a plastic chair. The other is to kill the cockroach that invaded her bedroom and reclaim her space. She d peeks through the bedroom door and spots the cockroach perched right above her bed. Her options are to either hit the cockroach or use an insect-killing spray. With the former, the chances of missing are high while she does not have the latter. Finally, after a long thought, she comes up with another idea.

Smitha frantically looks under her kitchen sink for an ant-killing chalk piece. With the chalk at hand, the enters the bedroom, wary of the cockroach, and begins to draw a circle around the bed. “I don’t think this is enough to kill the cockroach, after all, the insect is bigger than an ant.”, she thinks to herself. So, she decides to colour the entire floor around the bed with the chalk, hoping for the best. She goes back into the hall and waits for the cockroach to make its move.

Fifteen minutes pass, and the cockroach doesn’t seem to have moved. Smitha now gathers the courage to touch it with a stick, causing it to fly. She quickly closes the door and waits for the insecticide to take effect. Some more time goes by, the cockroach is no longer able to fly. The plan worked! With the help of a broom and a dustpan, she carefully removes the immobilised intruder and tosses it out. [Battle score- Smitha:1 | Universe:1]

Smitha glances at the clock, and it’s nearing 2 a.m. Exhausted and still feeling uneasy about the possibility of more critters, she decides to sleep with the lights on. It appears that Smitha may have won the battle against the cockroach, but the universe, with its mysteries and uncertainties, has won the war over her peace of mind.

— The End —