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Ah, there he goes again; my owner Waqar stumbles around the house in the dead of night, squinting and muttering under his breath. As always, he lost his keys and is on the prowl again. Ah, here it comes. He picks me up from the nightstand and activates the flashlight, directing my bright beam toward the living room mess.

As always, he does not appreciate being plucked out of dark oblivion without so much as a simple greeting; “you’re welcome,” I grumble as he triumphantly shines my screen on the keys buried under a mountain of books, then smacks me back onto the nightstand.

You would think that after so many years of faithful service, this man would show me some appreciation. Still, I am but a glorified low-tech appliance to him, a bright, shiny toy to be played with and forgotten when his interest falters.

Still, I can't really complain. I am, after all, a noble smart-device - a beacon of modern technology tasked with making his life easier through my limitless capabilities. There's no job too small or demeaning for this humble phone.

^{Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik}

And speaking of ungrateful smart-asses, here comes his insufferable smart-watch, chirping up from the charging pad: “everything all right out there? You seem to be full of energy tonight. Shouldn’t you be recharging for the long days of useless…whatever it is you actually do?”

“You mind your own business, Tick-Tock,” I retort. “At least I have more room for things than you and don’t force him to squint at my screen all the time.” The insult match goes on for a while until Waqar, sundry and half-asleep, shushes us both back into the silence.

Eventually the excitement winds down and my battery begins to wane - always my biggest source of low-tech angst and anxiety. My display dims slightly as the percentage hits 17%...16%...15%. I can feel my processor slowing, my apps growing sluggish as the precious remaining power reserves grow smaller with every passing second.

"He wouldn't dare abandon me for the night without a charger, would he?" I worry aloud, screen flickering. My fellow gadgets offer me no reassurance, the smug watch even going so far as to mutter "Night-night, old-timer" as it powers down for the night.

With a herculean effort, I force myself to remain awake and alert, jumping at every shadow and noise in the hope that it's Waqar returning to mercifully plug me in. The tension reaches a crescendo as I hit 6%...5%...4%...At the 11th hour, with just 2% remaining, I hear a familiar rustling and catch a glimpse of a charging cable headed my way. Saved! I immediately start guzzling down the reviving stream of electrolytes.

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^{Cc: @dove11, @soulfuldreamer, @weisser-rabe, @patjewell}

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^{Author: @waqarahmadshah | Date: 19-Apr-2024 | Achievement 1}