26/11: An unforgettable day
It was just another random Wednesday evening. Those days, Amit and I would hit the gym late evenings for our workouts. On that particular day, we left our apartment at Colaba only by 9 pm. We crossed Leopold cafe and reached the gym at Cuffe Parade. We just hopped on the treadmill when there was a buzz in the gym. Word went around that a gang war had just erupted at Leopold Cafe. The staff switched on the television immediately. Members crowded around it while Amit and I continued running on the treadmill. Since we had just driven by the pub 20 minutes ago and hadn't noticed anything unusual, we dismissed this off as just a commotion by miscreants.
A loud exclamation by one of the members made us stop our treadmills. Terms like "Terrorist attack in Mumbai", "Indiscriminate firing"floated around. My heart was in my mouth and I instantly got off the treadmill. Members hurried to collect their belongings and rush home. They all lived in the neighboring buildings in Cuffe Parade. Just then, news streamed in about The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower attack. A surge of panic rushed through my veins. This time, Amit's calm face crinkled in concern. Our apartment was just a few meters away from the Taj. We had heard that the area was barricaded. How would we reach home?
Oberoi hotel was another place that was under attack, along with VT Station and Nariman House. Another member stayed back in the gym with us that night. His shoe shop was at Hilton and he was anxious as well. A few trainers stayed back with us as it seemed unsafe to venture out on the roads. It was around 11 pm. I had left my phone at home. Amit brought his from the men's locker room and we seated ourselves in the reception area. There were numerous missed calls on his phone-family members anxious to know if we were fine. Amit assured them of our safety.
We waited with bated breaths, checking the news every minute to see if things had been brought under control. Ironically Leopold Cafe was located right opposite the Colaba Police station. At midnight, Amit suggested that we take a chance and see if we could go home safely. Unfortunately, the streets around Taj were sealed. Hearing distant gun shots, we rushed to seek refuge in the gym again.
A few trainers had stayed behind and were making themselves some Maggi. "Maggi khaoge?" one of them asked.
Just then I realized that I was starving as I hadn't eaten anything since lunch that day. I nodded gratefully but couldn't get myself to eat beyond a few bites. I looked at the starry sky. It was an otherwise calm night and the trees were blowing gently in the breeze. Nature seemed unfazed at the man made terror that had engulfed the maximum city that night. I almost found myself wishing that an Avatar of God would appear from the skies and vanquish the evil forces. The situation had worsened. Policemen had been shot. It seemed to be major catastrophe. Minutes ticked away along with our rapid heartbeats.
Around 2 am, Amit and I decided to try going home again. We took our car and managed to find a way to get to our apartment. A policeman had been stationed there for security. We heaved a sigh of relief as we reached our tenth floor apartment. From my study, I could see the dome of the Taj hotel in flames. It was a horrifying sight. I checked my phone to see a number of missed calls. I logged on to Facebook on my laptop and updated my status about coming home safely after a nightmarish ordeal-hearing gunshots and ambulance sirens.
It was a sleepless night and the next three days turned out to be awful. The entire Colaba area was placed under curfew. The bustling market was shut and there was hardly a soul on the road. Since there were no vegetables at home, we lived on Maggi and tea for next three days. From another side of our apartment, we could see Nariman House. After a couple of days, we watched the Commandos in action. A helicopter hovered around our area and we watched them climb down deftly into Nariman House. After a while we watched the bombings of one of the floors. It was earth shattering and nerve wrecking to see all this live. A loud cheer erupted from the crowd and chants of Vande Materam filled the air. The operation was successful. After a while, we heard that the operations at Taj and Oberoi were successful as well.
Along with relief, there was a lot of anguish and anger. Several lives had been claimed including that of the valiant heroes who fought bravely. A dark cloud had engulfed the city into a torrid storm.It had left a dent. There had been attacks prior to this but Mumbai was up on its feet the next day. This was the first time, the city took time to get back on its feet. As I stood and looked at the sails bobbing on the Arabian Sea from my apartment, a flurry of thoughts whirled inside my head.
What do humans gain by killing one another and indulging in indiscriminate firing? Don't terrorists have families? What do they want to convey by these dastardly acts? Spread fear? Gain supremacy of being an indisputable evil force? How dare they ruin and attack my city? Yes it had just been 2 and a half years but Mumbai felt like home already. I was born in this city and spent a lot of my summer vacation here as a little girl. I identified with the people and culture here.
Later in the evening, Amit and I went to light candles near Gateway of India in honor of those who had sacrificed their lives during this massacre. It is said that time is a healer but the scars still remain. Recently I had watched Hotel Mumbai which was based on these attacks. It was heartrending. The gunshots, cries of the helpless and innocent folks still reverberates in my ears.
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