The Charging Bed!

After a long flight from India to the U.S., I finally reached my daughter’s home—relieved, jetlagged, and slightly dazed by the American quietude. The house was warm and welcoming, but soon, I faced a problem more stressful than international travel itself: charging my gadgets.

Indian plugs, meet American sockets—except they don’t. Flat pins stared mockingly at my round ones. My beloved iPhone, Android phone, Apple Watch, iPad, and MacBook lay there like patients in an ICU with incompatible life-support systems.

Back home, I had created a perfect rig—a beautiful chaos of extension boards, country-specific adapters, and neatly labeled chargers. But here, I was like a warrior without his sword. I rummaged through drawers, searched online, even visited the local Best Buy. I bought adapters, only to realize I needed a different type for the Apple Watch. Wires spread across the room like ivy, connecting to whatever free socket I could find—some behind the side table, some under the study desk.

Two whole days went into solving the puzzle of “What charges what, where, and how?” It was messy, frustrating, and mildly comic.

That night, bone-tired, I collapsed onto the bed.

And I dreamt.

I dreamt that my bed was no ordinary bed—it was a mega charger. As I lay there, a soft hum surrounded me. My iPhone lit up. My iPad blinked. My Android buzzed, and my Apple Watch breathed life. Even my MacBook, the glutton, joined the chorus of charging. And all were dancing merrily.

And then, something unusual happened.

I felt it.

A gentle warmth filled my chest. My body, too, felt like it was charging. Muscles relaxed. Breathing deepened. Mind quieted.

Was this… self-charging?

At 4:30 AM, I woke up—as always. The dream lingered.

Still half-asleep, I reached for the light switch. Something caught my eye.

The headrest of the bed—black, sleek, subtle—had a panel. A beautiful panel with every kind of socket imaginable. USB-A, USB-C, lightning, even that elusive Apple Watch dock. No bulky adapters needed. Just the connector wires. Six gadgets, all happily sipping power from a single source.

I stared at it, almost reverent.

Three days it had taken me to discover the power of this marvel.

Three days of wrestling with wires when the solution was right behind my pillow.

As all six of my devices blinked with charging lights, I sat back and smiled.

Maybe the dream wasn’t so absurd. Maybe when all our gadgets are charged, we feel a little charged too.

I owe this blessing to my daughter—her quiet thoughtfulness, her modern furniture, and her sense of detail. She didn’t tell me about the charging bed.

Maybe she knew I’d find it when I needed it most.

Guchi.