Tangled Chargers on Study Carrel in Al Muharraq

Soft, overcast midmorning light washes over a white plastic power strip embedded in a wooden seminar table. Dozens of black and grey cables snake across the surface, connecting to a cluster of smartphones and tablets resting on scattered papers. Handwritten notes in Arabic script lie partially beneath the tangle of cords, their ink slightly smudged by recent handling. The wood grain of the table shows signs of heavy use, with faint scratches visible near the power outlet. Through the window, rainwater beads on the glass, blurring the darkened stone paths of the campus outside. A red LED glows steadily on the far end of the strip, marking active power against the white plastic casing.