Blog
Thanksgiving of Terror
Posted by Akash under Life on December 24th,2008. No Comments.
I actually wrote most of this on the 27th or 28th of November, but I forgot to actually publish it. Even though it’s too late, I still want to publish this memoir for the future (with some minor edits).
So. Last time I came to Mumbai, those train bombings happened (~July 2006). This time I come to Mumbai, terrorists torture our city once more. Perfect timing.
At around 10 AM (local time) on the 26th of November, this all started. My family was awake. We were just chatting and then I went to sleep. My parents were woken up to see the news. So the next morning (the 27th), I woke up. I DID make a mental note that it was unusually quiet outside (normally, the streets are bustling and noisy from very early in the morning). I logged on the computer and checked my email. I got a few more than usual. Several of them were asking if I was OK. I panicked. What happened? I started trembling as I navigated to CNN.com, and there I saw the news of the terror.
I watched the news a lot on that day. Things were not getting too much better. There was still firing, explosions, deaths, and hostages. On Thanksgiving day, I was so thankful that my family was safe. We knew a few people that were in this horrifying situation, but luckily, they were also safe. My thoughts are with those families and friends who have lost their loves one during this event.
Mumbai has experienced a nightmare. I think we did a great job of picking up the pieces. The hotels have already done so.
“We dedicate our reopening to the city of Mumbai as affirmation of the values of courage, resilience and dignity,” Raymond Bickson, managing director and CEO of Indian Hotels Company Limited, said.