Chapter 24: Golgappas, Growth, and the 4:00 A.M. Mystery

Hello,  Yesterday was kinda interesting because I crashed in the evening, missed the gym, and woke up at 4:00 a.m. today.

 I distinctly heard someone calling my name. It was terrifying. Everyone else was dead asleep. Was it a dream? A hallucination? My brain trying to jumpstart my routine with a jump-scare? Whatever it was, the sudden jolt plus the weird sleep hours has left my head throbbing.

I realised that I’m actually awake at 4:00 a.m., and for a split second, I felt like a productivity queen. My routine is finally clicking into place, and there’s a strange satisfaction in being up before the rest of the world. 

But then, the "Early Bird Tax" hit: a massive, pounding headache. Now I’m just lying here, spiraling into a classic overthinker’s loop—is waking up this early actually worth it, or am I just punishing my brain for the sake of an aesthetic?

Yesterday was a total rollercoaster. In a good way! I finally went to coaching and brought my teacher some sweets and a cute notebook. He was so pleased that he called the library owner into the office right then and there.

That’s when the "Great Tea Deal" happened: 200 rupees extra for a private study spot and daily tea delivered to my table. My brain has been doing the math on repeat ever since. If one tea is 10 rupees, that’s 300 a month. By showing up just 20 days, I’m breaking even. Every cup after that is pure, caffeinated profit. It’s a genius move, right? I’m almost 100% sure it is.

Then there was the friend mertup . I’d told him, "If you want to see me, come to coaching," and he actually showed up! Despite his new bike, his driving job, and his afternoon studies, he made the time. He even treated me to Golgappa and Tikki! But the moment he mentioned he’d been fasting since yesterday and hadn’t eaten a bite, I went from happy to frustrated. Who buys someone else street food while they’re literally starving? I made him go eat immediately. I’m still touched that he prioritized me over his own hunger, but man, it stressed me out.

The rest of the day was a blur—tea with my teacher while waiting for Papa, an eye test (my power increased slightly, shocker), and buying fruits for the neighbors' Bhagwat Path. Plus, there’s Bhandara food to look forward to today!

The Strategy Shift:

I’ve realized that being a "4:00 a.m. warrior" is useless if I’m too tired to actually study. So, I’m pivotting. The new plan is the 12-to-8 Strategy. I’m going to bed at 12:00 a.m. and waking up at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Eight hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep. I need to find my perfect routine and no more "ghost voices," no more early-morning headaches, and I’ll still be at the library in time to claim my tea. 

Let's take a one step forward to my independent life!