I never had any problem falling asleep, in fact, these past few years of engineering college have made me realize that the Sandman is always just around the corner, ready to bless me with a healthy slumber. It is a different matter though that I had to keep him at bay, mostly.

So, I imagine my surprise when yesterday (technically today), no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get any shuteye!

It was around 12:30 am. Keeping down the just finished Frederick Forsyth, I thought of turning in for the day/night. At the time, I was really very sleepy – remember that I had to be really attentive to make sure the KGB agent (or Illegal, if you please) was well and truly caught.

Like most people, I’m sure, I went to the washroom, washed hands, face and feet, applied lotion, brushed my hair, applied lotion, drank a glass of water, placed the jug of water and a glass near my bed, checked to see whether all the windows and doors are properly fastened (that’s my duty in the house), removed blankets, covered my already sleeping sis with one, and hit the sack.

01:00 am:

But I just couldn’t sleep! I puffed the pillow, removed the bedsheet, replaced with it with another, turned this side and that, but nothing.

All the while the steady patter of rain outside – it usually calms me, but this time I felt it pounding the insides of my head. Then, (very skeptically), I started counting sheep and succeeded in boring myself exceedingly, but no sleep.

‘Sleep!’ I told myself. ‘You will not get enough once you start working, so sleep’.  But I could not convince myself.

I looked at my cell phone. It was 01:37 am. Heck, I did not stay up this long for even exams!

I started playing ‘Qudrapop’ on the phone. Broke my own high score record with 37,400 points. Then ‘Jewelquest’ – solved all the boards. Racing fever next. Unlocked 5 more levels. Feeling that this was making me more and more alert rather than groggy, I kept it down.

02:10 am:

Should I watch the TV? Mom and dad wouldn’t be too happy. Hell, I will mute the sound. Thank God for the subtitles. I plonked myself on some 4-5 cushions on the sofa and debated on which movie to see. Only two seemed interesting. One was a ‘scary movie’ on StarMovies. Somehow feeling that it might just keep me awake trying to peer into the darkest corners and alert of the slightest sound, anyway, I didn’t want to see teens pulped to death ala Rajnikant style situations (read: highly unrealistic), I settled for the other on Sonypix.

It had Al Pacino and Robbie Williams and Hilary Swank and guess what was it? ‘Insomniac’! Life can really get so ironic!

However, the climax saw me dozing off (nothing on the actors, they were great). Not wanting to miss it, I rubbed my eyes, and stayed awake. 😀

03:30 am:

Movie over, me wide awake, thanks to the efforts of yours truly. Talk about cutting the branch you are sitting on!

Feeling that watching TV wasn’t going to help any more than making ‘High Scores’ on the cell, I started on a book: ‘Winter Hawk’ by Craig Thomas. This time it was the indomitable Americans going to foil the Russians. Within half an hour, I felt the book work it magic – there only so much of Cold War dynamics one can take in 24 hours – and it lulled me slowly but surely, to some much needed sleep.

04:30 am:

The alarm which my sis had kept so as to catch a flight at 6:00 am, rang.

Need I say anything more? Sometimes it’s just not your day (or night!)