My phone buzzed, an unknown number. I hesitated before answering.
"Are you Sunny?" a distressed voice asked, urgency cutting through the words.
"Yes… who is this?"
"Please, come to City Hospital immediately… your parents… their condition is critical!"
Sunny's life takes a devastating turn in The Lost Child as a family tragedy strikes, leaving him shattered. A car accident claims his parents' death, making him an orphaned protagonist burdened with grief and responsibility. While sorting through his mother’s belongings, he stumbles upon a mystery letter, hinting at a hidden past and a dark secret long buried. As he unravels the unexpected truth, the secret revelation sets him on a path of self-discovery, uncovering a suspenseful past that changes everything he believed about himself.
I could never have imagined that what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life would quickly spiral into my worst nightmare.
A Day That Started with Hope
It was April 3, 2006, in San Diego—the day of my final semester results. My friends and I sat together, a mixture of nervous excitement and anticipation filling the air as we awaited the verdict that would determine our futures. Laughter echoed around us, but none of us knew that fate was already at work behind the scenes, preparing to alter everything.
And then, she walked in.
Sarah: My Anchor in the Storm
Sarah.
Dressed in a red skirt, she was radiant, a beacon of light in the dim room. Her presence had an uncanny ability to make the world feel a little brighter, a little easier. More than just a friend, she was my anchor—the one person I could always rely on. She approached with that familiar, dazzling smile and pulled me into a warm embrace.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, her eyes dancing with excitement.
"Nervous!" I replied with a nervous laugh.
We’d already planned a celebration for after the results—a night of joy, of relief, of looking forward to the future. Moments later, the announcement began. Some of our classmates faced disappointment, but Sarah and I passed.
We couldn’t contain our joy.
The Moment Everything Changed
But then, everything changed.
My heart seized. The world around me seemed to slow down, the air slipping away from my lungs.
Without thinking, I ran.
"Sunny! Where are you going? What’s happening?" Sarah’s voice echoed in the distance, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t breathe.
The Longest Drive of My Life
I rushed to my car, my hands trembling as they gripped the steering wheel. My mind was a frantic blur. Please, God, save my parents!
The drive to the hospital was an eternity. Each red light, each second, felt like a dagger to my chest.
I rushed to the reception desk, breathless, my voice barely a whisper.
"My parents—Abdullah Khan and my mother—are they okay?"
The receptionist’s gaze faltered, and the sorrow in her eyes was enough to freeze me in place. That look… it was too much. It tightened my stomach, sending waves of dread crashing over me.
"The doctors are doing everything they can in the trauma center," she said, her voice distant and filled with sorrow.
The Devastating News
I didn’t hear her. I was already sprinting toward the trauma unit, my legs unsteady beneath me, my mind numb with fear. Every step felt like it was pulling me further away from hope.
And then, the door to the operation theater opened.
A team of doctors stepped out, their faces grave. Their silence was louder than anything they could’ve said. My heart thundered in my chest, and my hands were slick with sweat. My breath came in short gasps.
One of the doctors looked at me. His eyes were soft, filled with a sorrow I couldn’t quite understand.
"Are you Abdullah Khan’s son?" he asked gently.
I nodded. My body moved mechanically, as if reacting to a nightmare I hadn’t yet come to terms with.
The doctor sighed deeply, his gaze drifting for a moment before meeting mine again.
"I’m sorry… they didn’t make it."
The words shattered everything in me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My world, once solid and secure, crumbled before my eyes.
"They didn’t survive. There was a road accident. The brakes on the car failed. It went off the bridge."
His voice was distant, muffled as if I were underwater. The rest of his words blended into a suffocating fog. My body felt numb, as if it couldn’t comprehend the devastation.
The Beginning of My Solitude
I stumbled down the corridor, barely aware of where I was going, until I found myself standing by the room where they lay.
My parents. Lifeless. Bloodied. The people who had given me everything, now gone.
I couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel.
Time stopped.
A Week Later: Trying to Cope
I sat alone in my room, surrounded by memories that now felt like a distant past. My parents had given me everything—my childhood, my future. They had been my everything, and now they were gone.
Just days before, my father had prepared an office for me at the company. He’d said, "Finish your studies, and we’ll take a trip to Pakistan. After that, you’ll join me at the office. You’ll be my support, my strength."
But now, how could I be his strength when I had lost everything?
Mom had always promised, "I will find you a beautiful bride from Pakistan." But now… that future had evaporated, like smoke in the wind.
I was left with nothing but a hollow ache and God’s mercy.
Sarah's Departure
Tears spilled down my face, each drop a raw reminder of my loss. The pain was unbearable. Reality felt suffocating.
Then, Sarah entered.
She didn’t say anything at first. She simply sat beside me, her presence warm and grounding. Gently, she wiped away my tears—her touch tender, yet strong, as though trying to hold me together when I had fallen apart.
"I know what it feels like to lose someone you love," she whispered, her voice filled with understanding. "I’ll never forget the day my father left me."
I looked at her, guilt weighing heavy in my chest. "I’m sorry, Sarah," I whispered.
She shook her head, her eyes soft. "You don’t need to apologize. But you do need to be strong. You have to find the courage to move forward."
A sadness flickered in her eyes, and she hesitated before speaking again.
"I have to go to London. My mother is ill… she needs me."
Her words hit me like a blow to the chest.
Saying Goodbye
"No… Sarah, please don’t go." I reached for her hands, gripping them tightly. "I need you."
She had been my anchor—my only source of strength in the storm. And now, she was leaving.
"I will come back soon, I promise," she reassured me, her voice a soft promise.
I shook my head, desperate. "Sarah, I have no one left in this world but you. And now… even you’re leaving."
She placed my head against her chest, her hands running through my hair, her heartbeat steady and soothing.
"My love, I will return. But right now, I must go. My mother needs me."
A Visit from Afzal Chacha
The next morning, I drove her to the airport. Each moment, each second, weighed heavier than the last.
When we reached the departure gate, she turned to me. Her eyes held everything she couldn’t say aloud. And then, without warning, she pulled me into an embrace, her arms wrapping around me as if she never wanted to let go.
She kissed my forehead softly.
"Take care of yourself," she whispered.
And then, she was gone.
I returned home from the airport, the house feeling eerily empty. An overwhelming sense of loneliness hung in the air, making everything seem quieter, colder. I made my way to my room, lost in my thoughts, when Afzal Chacha entered.
Afzal Chacha had been a long-time servant in our house, a loyal member of the family who had worked for my father for years. He wasn’t just a servant; he had been part of our lives, from my childhood to adulthood. He used to manage everything in the house—from cooking meals, bringing in the groceries, to handling all the domestic chores. He was like family.
A Reminder of Family
He came to me with a gentle smile, his concern evident in his eyes. “Beta, you haven’t been eating properly for days. I’ve made something special for you, just the way you like it,” he said, his voice soft but filled with care.
Hearing those words, memories of my mother flooded my mind, and for a moment, the ache of her absence seemed unbearable. She had always been the one to care for me this way.
I sat down to eat with Afzal Chacha, and as we ate together, I couldn’t help but say, "Now, after God, you are the one who is with me. You’re the one I can turn to for advice—whether good or bad, you’re like a guide to me."
Once we finished, Afzal Chacha shared something with me. "Jaswal, your father’s secretary, called. He wants to meet you. He’s probably inquiring about some office matters. Should I set up a time for you to meet him?"
A New Responsibility
I nodded, feeling the weight of everything pressing on me. “I’ll talk to him,” I said, trying to sound calm, though I could feel the flood of uncertainty rising within me.
The next day, I decided to meet Jaswal. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the looming sense of responsibility made it clear that I couldn’t avoid it forever. The moment I stepped into the office, I felt the familiar tension that had always been present in this space—the weight of my father’s legacy, the unspoken expectations, the people who had once worked alongside him, now eyeing me to fill his shoes.
The Hidden Room
Jaswal greeted me with his usual formal politeness. He was well-dressed, his demeanor professional, but there was an unmistakable respect in his eyes as he motioned for me to sit.
“Sir, I hope you’re holding up well,” he said, his tone a bit cautious. “I know this is a difficult time for you, but there are some things we need to discuss about the office matters.”
I nodded, trying to compose myself. "Go ahead," I replied, though I wasn’t sure how much I could focus on work right now.
He handed me a file. "This is about the company’s current projects. Your father had started a few key ventures, and it’s time for us to make decisions on the next steps. We need your input."
I glanced through the documents, but my mind kept drifting. The paper in front of me seemed insignificant compared to the chaos inside my mind. My father had built this empire, and now I was supposed to take the reins. But how could I? How could I live up to his expectations when everything felt so broken?
"I’ll need some time to process all this," I told Jaswal, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I’ll get back to you soon on the decisions."
Jaswal nodded. "Of course, sir. Take your time. We’re all here to support you."
I left the office that day with more questions than answers. The weight of responsibility was starting to sink in, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.
A Mystery Unfolds
Back at home, after spending hours in solitude, something caught my eye—a door that I had never noticed before. It was tucked away in a corner, almost hidden. Something about it felt strange, as if it were a secret waiting to be uncovered.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I walked toward it. My hand hesitated on the doorknob for a moment before turning it, the old wood creaking as it opened.
The room was dim, filled with dust and forgotten things. I stepped inside, my breath catching as I saw the boxes stacked in corners. As I moved further, I stumbled upon something that made my heart race—my mother’s belongings.
There, among the old papers and trinkets, lay a collection of letters. I couldn’t stop myself. I opened the first one, the handwriting unmistakable. It was my mother’s, addressed to someone I didn’t recognize.
As I read, I felt a chill run down my spine.
This was something I hadn’t expected.
It was more than just a letter.
It was a mystery—one that would lead me down a path I wasn’t prepared for.
"Uncover the hidden past with Sunny as he navigates through grief and responsibility after his parents' death. What dark secret lies within the mystery letter found among his mother’s belongings? Will he survive the weight of this unexpected truth? Join his journey of self-discovery in The Lost Child. Read now and unravel the suspense!"
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