I’ll admit it: I never thought I’d be the type of person obsessed with Sudoku. I mean, it’s just numbers in a grid, right? How exciting can it really be? But somewhere along the line, this simple puzzle became a daily ritual, a little mental workout, and, at times, a source of pure frustration — in the best way possible. It all started on a rainy afternoon. I was stuck indoors, scrolling through a news app, when a small Sudoku ad caught my attention. “Why not?” I thought. I downloaded the app, opened the puzzle, and stared at the 9x9 grid with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. The First Encounter At first, Sudoku seemed straightforward. Fill in numbers 1 through 9 in every row, column, and 3x3 box without repeating any of them. “Piece of cake,” I thought. I tapped in a few numbers, feeling clever with each placement. But soon, I realized that the empty squares were not just empty spaces; they were little traps designed to test my patience and logic. I remember spending almost half an hour staring at one section, erasing and rethinking every number placement. My brain hurt in a good way — the kind of hurt that comes from really engaging with a challenge. And when I finally completed my first puzzle, I leaned back, grinning like I had just won a mini-championship.