6-year-old boy who went out to buy candy returns home after 17 years, here’s what happened
A 6-year-old boy's trip to buy candy turned into a 17-year ordeal. Read his incredible story of survival and reunion with his family
In a heartwarming reunion, 23-year-old Arif has finally made it back home after being away from his family for a whopping 17 years. Arif went missing when he went out of his Delhi home at the age of six to purchase candy but got lost.
Remembering the day he became lost from his parents, Arif explained to The Times of India, “When I left the shop, I was following a man who was living nearby, thinking he was going home. We took a few turns, but suddenly the man entered a vehicle and disappeared. I was away from home and had no idea how to go back.” He ended up in Gurugram, where some college students spotted him and reported to the police.
Arif spent years in different orphanages and childcare centers, keeping the hope of being reunited with his parents alive. But with time, that hope gradually disappeared. “For a few years after I disappeared, I kept hoping to be reunited with my parents, but it gradually disappeared,” he said.
Meanwhile, Arif’s parents were searching for him tirelessly, visiting several states and various childcare homes. Their relentless efforts eventually bore fruit with a phone call on March 24, which told them that they had found Arif. “He was employed in Faridabad. we both went to Haryana and finally hugged our son again,” Arif’s mother, Afshana, explained to the publication.
Presently, Arif is doing a Bachelor of Arts degree from a Sonipat college and wishes to get employed in the Railways. He has also been reunited with his four younger siblings of which one is now married.
