It is a dark and stormy night. I walk through the frigid rain, the wet chilling me to the bone. I still have miles to go, and the rain is solidifying into sleet. I go into the dark alleys of the labyrinthine streets. Decorated street lamps illuminate the entire place. As I am about to enter the premises, lightning followed by thunder strikes the nearby alley a few miles away from my home.
It rains all through the night. When I wake up, small crimson rays of the sun are falling from the nearby window, which is half ajar. The melodious voices of birds are heard from the nearby tree, which looks full of strength and vigour. I make a plan to go to a distant place far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I take my bike and some essentials with me and leave my home as early as possible.
It is a vigorous journey all through the traditional routes until I reach the destination, fascinated by the remarkable, breathtaking beauty of tall and splendid mountains peaked with green grass. Everywhere there are splendid trees with their tops reaching the skies. The sound of the gushing water from the brooks and the crystal-clear water rushing from the steep terrains refreshes my soul. I now take my essentials from the bike, trying to look around the premises of the place, which is nothing less than heaven.
In a distant place, I find a baby near the mountain edge, playing without anyone near him. It surprises me greatly that there is a baby here without anyone to care for him. I think for a minute that someone may be around and has moved to some distant place, leaving the baby there. I cannot control my emotions. I go near him and find him all alone without anyone near him. With my eyes, I see no one there and realize no one lives in that area.
For a moment, I think that I will leave him here and move away, but the innocence of this baby attracts me. I like the child very much at first glance, and I don’t want to leave him so that some wild animal might make him its food. He smiles at me, and I smile back at him. How on earth could someone leave a baby like this all alone? I don’t know what to do under such circumstances and am very much afraid, thinking about what to do next.
I decide to take this baby with me and bring him to my home. I am very fond of this baby, and my life has completely changed. I take care of him with the utmost priority. I bathe him and dress him in new clothes, but deep inside my heart, I am constantly thinking about this baby and his parents. I think for a minute about giving this child to an orphanage, but I can’t, as I have grown to love this baby more than myself.
Every now and then, I think of him. He is the apple of my eye. I have decided to give him the best possible education so that he will be a respectful member of society. There is happiness now in my life. Suddenly, I realize that I must try to find his parents and their whereabouts. I place an advertisement in the newspapers and file a report at the police station. But nobody comes to take this child from me. It is after a lull of three years since the advertisement in the newspapers that someone knocks on my door. When I inquire who it is, he replies that he wants to know about the baby. I can’t believe it, as my life is totally dependent on him; I love him more than myself. For a moment, I think that someone has come to take this baby away from me.
I have left the baby in a separate room, and he is sleeping there. When his parents come to claim him, I go to wake him up but can’t find him there. He has vanished. Then his parents tell me they buried him with their own hands four years ago. I can’t believe the story they tell me. I search for him everywhere but find no trace of him. He has vanished into thin air. I became totally exhausted and sad.
Umar Hayat Hussain is a freelance writer. He can be reached at [email protected]

Umar Hayat Huasain