The Missing Boy

The Missing Boy

Reena called out to Abhinav, there was no response. She searched the entire house, but he was nowhere to be found. In a state of panic, she told Ajit and both started looking around, but the boy was just missing. 

This incident happened with one of my neighbours and is based on True Facts. Since, I don't want to reveal the real identities of people involved, I've used fictitious names.

So let's get on with their story. The head of this family is called Ajit Verma and his wife is Reena Verma. Ajit is a middle aged man of around 50 years, while Reena is around 45 years old. Ajit used to work in a Bank, but took voluntary retirement from his job, majorly, to take care of their elder son - Abhinav, he's a special child. Abhinav is around 20 years of age, so he's not exactly a child anymore. They have another son, Avinash who is a teenager, studying in junior college.

The Vermas are an extremely loud, cheerful and jovial kind of family. They are an affectionate lot and all the neighbours around are very fond of them too. The door of their house is always open and anybody getting in or out of the apartments does have a conversation with Ajit. Very friendly and concerned about everybody, Ajit loves talking to all people, be it pestering salesmen or kids of the neighbours. 

Always cracking jokes and spreading laughter all around is an inherent trait of the entire Verma family. Although, Reena was working in the Postal Department, she too was very friendly, whenever she was around. My family and Vermas were really close and we would have a lot of social time together, be it having lunches/ dinners together at any of our places or random chatting sessions. In fact, we knew the entire Verma clan very well.

So one day, when Ajit was in a sombre mood, he mentioned to my Dad how Abhinav had become the way he was. Let me make it clear, his condition was not the result of any kind of physical accident or injury though. He was born a perfectly normal child, with the same kind of antics and tantrums a normal kid has. After he turned an year old, he started walking and even started to talk in bits and pieces. By the time, he turned two, he was running and jumping around and having conversations just about with everyone.

But on the fateful day, which also happened to be Abhinav's 3rd birthday, things took a strange turn, which are beyond the realms of common understanding. The proud and happy couple had planned a small party at home, to celebrate Abhinav's 3rd birthday. The kid was super excited and looking forward to the party, the mouth-watering treats and of course the gifts, the last fond memory of Abhinav as remembered by his parents.

He was all set and looking dapper in his bright red shorts and white coloured shirt with red stripes. As Ajit and Reena were busy preparing for the event, decorating the house and arranging the refreshments and cake etc, they did not notice when Abhinav was out of their sight. They assumed he was playing in his room, however, he had disappeared.

When finally, everything was set and ready, Reena called out to Abhinav, there was no response. She searched the entire house, but he was nowhere to be found. In a state of panic, she told Ajit and both started looking around, but the boy was just missing. 

The guests also started coming in, but Ajit and Reena both were frantically searching for their son. Ajit ran out of the house, calling out to Abhinav all the time, while Reena started screaming and crying loudly. After running about in all possible directions, at an intersection on the sidewalk, about 200 meters from their house, he saw Abhinav quietly sitting in his white shirt and red shorts.

He was so pleased to have found his son, sitting on the pavement, that he just ran, picked him up in his arms and sprinted towards his house. Tears of joy flowing from his eyes, upon seeing Abhinav, Reena too, heaved a sigh of relief to have found her son safe, though not knowing he wasn't the same anymore.

As soon as they relaxed a bit, they noticed that Abhinav didn't seem his usual chirpy self, he had a blank expression on his face. When they asked him, how he reached there, he did not reply. In fact, he never replied again, ever. Abhinav had gone quiet. After that day, he could never speak again and a perfectly normal boy, transformed into a mentally challenged boy, without any evident reason, accident or injury as such.

His parents took him to all possible doctors- neuropaths, psychologists, psychiatrists etc. but since there was no injury or accident of any kind, none could say what went wrong with him. His medical tests and reports were all normal, however, nobody could explain what really went wrong with him. Their own relatives, friends and acquaintances were shocked to see the changed boy, who had become no less than a vegetable.


After that day, the boy stopped talking and his parents had to take care of him in every possible way, be it his daily chores or feeding him. He was totally incapable of taking care of his own self ever again. Ajit and Reena believe their son has been a victim of some kind of witchcraft or evil black magic. What really happened that day cannot be known anymore as Ajit and Abhinav have also passed away. Abhinav lived till the age of 45 years and passed away peacefully in his sleep one night.

Abhinav had an angelic expression and there was an innocence on his face. His family took great care of him, and he was almost always smiling and happy. There are things that medical science also has no reply to, at such times we have to look at other sources of knowledge, which might be paranormal in nature. These things are best left to the Supreme power or a higher dimension and although Ajit and Reena could never come to terms with the condition of Abhinav, they had to accept it and move on, after all the show must go on!!