Am I the Only One???

                                    

                                          
Rafi had one sworn enemy in this entire universe, and it wasn't a person, a thing, or even something conceptual. No, the bane of Rafi's existence was much simpler: it was his alarm clock. Every single morning, the hideous beeping sound of that little device would jolt him from his dreams, and every single morning, he would fantasize about launching it across the room with all the strength of the Hulk. But of course, Rafi wasn't the Hulk, and the clock had been bought with his savings. As much as he loathed it, he wasn't about to throw his hard-earned money into the trash just to satisfy a fleeting moment of rage.

So, the routine continued. Each day, as the alarm rang, Rafi would find himself in the midst of an internal battle—a wrestling match with his own sleep. His brain begged for more rest, his body clung to the comfort of his bed, and yet the shrill alarm relentlessly demanded that he wake up. After what felt like a never-ending back-and-forth struggle, Rafi would finally open his eyes, check the time, and today, as always, his temper flared.

It was four in the morning.

"Are you serious?" he groaned, glaring at the clock. The traitorous little device had tricked him again, waking him two hours earlier than necessary. His frustration boiled over, and for a fleeting moment, he considered hurling it into the wall. But then he sighed, knowing better. **It was his fault** for setting the alarm wrong, not the clock's. Still, the frustration didn't fade.Rafi tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. Once he was awake, his brain cells refused to let him drift off again. They screamed at him that the day had begun, and his body responded by fully waking up.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself, throwing off the covers. His room was dimly lit, with just the faintest hint of light from the pre-dawn sky filtering through his curtains. He dragged himself out of bed, feeling thirsty from the early wake-up call. He stumbled into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and gulping down two full servings of water.

As he leaned against the counter, he wondered what he should do with the time. It was far too early to start his day, yet his mind wouldn't allow him to rest. He glanced at his wardrobe, hoping for some inspiration. The only thing that caught his eye was a plain yellow T-shirt. It reminded him of **Himu**, a character from a book who wore a yellow *panjabi* and wandered barefoot at night.

Rafi smiled to himself. "Why not?" he thought. **A walk would clear his head.** Sure, he didn't have a yellow *panjabi*, but a T-shirt would do. Besides, a nighttime stroll sounded peaceful. The city was always so noisy during the day, and he liked the idea of wandering around in the quiet, especially since the streets would be empty.

He lived on the second floor of his apartment building. As he made his way down the stairs, he noticed the security guard was asleep, his head slumped against the wall. The door wasn't even locked. Rafi briefly considered taking a picture of the sleeping guard to report him to management, but he let the thought go. What did it matter?
 At the end of the day, he just wanted to be left alone, and reporting the guard would only create more noise in his life.
He quietly slipped out of the building, the door creaking as it closed behind him. The early morning air was cool and crisp, a refreshing change from the usual city heat. Rafi found himself wondering if four in the morning really counted as night. The sky was a beautiful shade of deep blue, not fully dark but not quite light yet, and it gave the city an eerie stillness.