He was running from a broken past. She became his unexpected future.

Adam fled Mumbai, a ghost of his former self after an eight-year love affair ended in betrayal. He sought silence in Trivandrum, a quiet coastal city, vowing to never feel again. Then he met Hazel.

In the dusty aisles of a local bookstore, Hazel was everything Adam didn't know he needed—a kindred spirit with a gentle soul, a shared love for poetry, and a quiet strength that began to heal his wounds. Their connection was instant, a whirlwind old-school love story unfolding over fourteen extraordinary days. Through late-night texts, shared songs, and stolen moments, they built a fragile hope for a future neither expected.

But some pasts refuse to stay buried. And some secrets demand an impossible choice.

Just as Adam dared to dream of a new beginning, a devastating revelation from the woman he tried to forget crashes back into his life, trapping him in a heart-wrenching dilemma. Forced to choose between an inescapable duty and the woman who taught him to live again, Adam must make a decision that will shatter not just his world, but Hazel's too.

The One I Lost is a poignant debut novella from Saniya Saigal, exploring the profound depths of connection, the weight of a promise, and the deafening silence that follows a love too beautiful to last.

If you believe in old-school romance, bittersweet journeys, and stories that stay with you long after the final page, discover Adam and Hazel's unforgettable tale.