Pages He Never Read

In a dusty attic, under a weak flickering bulb, sat an old leather-bound notebook. Its pages were yellowed, its cover cracked by time. But what made it special wasn’t how it looked it was what it contained: the story of a life waiting to be read.

And it belonged to a boy named Amaan.

The Boy Who Never Noticed

Amaan was 17, smart and full of dreams, but always in a rush. He wanted to travel the world, become famous, build a life far away from his small town. He lived with his grandfather, a quiet old man who walked with a cane and often smiled at nothing in particular.

Amaan’s parents had passed away in a car accident when he was just five. Since then, his grandfather, Baba Jaan, had raised him with care making his lunch every morning, waiting for him by the gate after school, and sitting quietly nearby while Amaan studied.

But as Amaan grew, his world changed. Phones, friends, and ambitions filled his time. And Baba Jaan… became a background figure. Amaan never meant to ignore him. Life just moved too fast.

The Notebook in the Attic

One cold afternoon, Baba Jaan fell ill. It wasn’t serious at first, just a fever. But within a few weeks, his condition worsened. Amaan, worried but still distracted with exams and college applications, barely sat by his side.

“Baba Jaan, you’ll be fine. I’ll take you to the hospital tomorrow,” Amaan said one night, kissing his forehead quickly and heading out for a friend’s party.

The next morning, Baba Jaan was gone.

The house fell silent no humming from the kitchen, no footsteps, no voice calling, “Beta, eat before it gets cold.” Just silence.

A Letter Without a Reader

During the days that followed, Amaan wandered the house, feeling empty. Regret hung heavy in the air. While cleaning the attic, he stumbled upon the old notebook. On the cover was written in soft Urdu calligraphy:

"To the Boy Who Became My World."

His hands trembled. He opened the first page.

"Amaan, if you're reading this, I’m no longer around. But I needed to tell you things I couldn’t say when I was alive. Not because I was scared, but because you were always too busy to listen."

Tears filled his eyes. Each page told a part of their journey stories from Amaan’s childhood, his favorite foods, the first time he tied his own shoelaces, his first fall from a bike, how he cried all night until Baba Jaan sang him to sleep. The notebook was filled with love silent, patient love.

"You never asked about my life, Amaan. That’s okay. But did you know I used to write poetry? Did you know I gave up my dream of becoming a teacher just to raise you? You were worth every dream I left behind."

Amaan read the entire night. By dawn, his eyes were swollen and his chest ached from the sobs he never let out before.

The Change Within

After reading the last page, Amaan closed the book gently, as if it were his grandfather’s hand. He sat in the attic for hours, staring at nothing, his mind racing.

That morning, he didn’t go to school. Instead, he made breakfast the kind Baba Jaan used to make. He placed it on the table, and whispered, “I miss you, Baba Jaan. I’m sorry I never read your pages when you were still here.”

Weeks turned into months. Amaan changed. He talked to people more kindly. He visited the elderly neighbor who always sat alone. He started writing too notebooks full of thoughts, memories, and poems, just like his grandfather.

And one day, he stood before his class and read a poem titled “Pages He Never Read.” His voice cracked, but his message was clear:

“Don’t wait until the people you love become memories.

Their stories matter.

Read their pages while they are still here.”

The Lesson That Lived On

The notebook stayed on Amaan’s desk forever, not as a decoration, but as a reminder that every person is a book, filled with untold stories.

And sometimes, the most important chapters are the ones we never think to read… until it’s too late.

Moral of the Story:

Don’t wait to listen.

Don’t wait to care.

Read the pages of your loved ones before they become silent.