An elderly woman prays for victims of the Mumbai terror attacks in front of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai on Sunday. — Reuters |
Mumbai, November 30
This ever-chirpy city is slowly coming to terms after it was brought to its knees by the most gruesome multiple terror attacks ever to take place in the country. Known as the city that never sleeps, the last three days saw a new side of Mumbai - closed shops, open roads, crowd-free local trains among many other such small but significant nuances.
"It looked as if fear had gripped the entire city. Not many people ventured out of their house after it all began," Nasir Shah, a taxi driver said.
But now that the guns have fallen silent, the city is slowly coming to terms with horrific terror that first raised its head on Wednesday evening.
"I was at home watching news when I saw a news flash of shooting taking place outside Leopold cafe. My brother-in-law had come from Australia and had gone out for dinner.
"I was worried about him and slept only after I came to know that he had gone to his friend's place," said Anjana Dehani who lives on Meenu Desai road, a stone-throw distance from Hotel Taj Mahal.
"In the middle of the night I was woken up by loud blasts and that’s when the fear crept in. My husband whose factory is getting renovated visited his office the next day, something which he has not done for many years," she said.
Breathing a sigh of relief is the cashier of Naval restaurant and stores. "For two days the shop was shut which resulted in loss," he said.
Incidentally, the restaurant was the first to open (an hour after the operation by security forces got over) among the many shops in the vicinity of Taj Mahal Hotel, including the 'Tendulkars', the restaurant owned by batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.
Even the Marine Drive area, near Oberoi hotel, which usually hustles and bustles with joggers and love-struck couples, had regained a little bit of its lost glory.
"I had not come here for my morning walk for the last two days. I missed coming here but could not help it as it was risky," said Prakash Desai, a retired government official who was seen stretching himself facing the quiet sea.
Several curious onlookers thronged the Taj Mahal Hotel, the face of the deadly terror strikes which were telecast live for nearly 60 hours.
Even as the city slowly returns to normalcy, the common talk among Mumbaiikars is the terror attack which has re-written the history of terrorism in the country.
— PTI
