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26th November 2008 - Mumbai Blasts!

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by malspie, Dec 2, 2008.

  1. malspie

    malspie Platinum IL'ite

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    It was another day lined up with routines. It has been long since I have had Sambhar with Capsicum and Tomato combo! My mom would make this Sambhar and it was rated as my favourite.

    After having 2 cups of green tea with some munching and a hot water shower, I quickly rushed to the kitchen to cook my dinner. Sambhar, French Beans Toran (Sabzi), Sago Fryums, Green Chutney, Chaas and steaming hot rice was ready in 35 minutes. I suddenly realized I have cooked for two nights and that included the fryums and Chaas!

    After my short and long conversation with my friends, I decided to sit for my hearty dinner. It was time to hit my comp keys. Television was on one side and my comp on the other! I keep switching my eye balls on both the screen.

    It was 9.15 by then and I tuned on to one of the News Channel! It was the same old news, no discussions and actions towards development. At 9.35, hell broke lose and broadcasting of some Open Firing at CST , following with news of firing and killing at Cama Hospital and then they announced Anti Terrorism Squad leader Hemant Karkare. Encounter Specialist - Vijay Salaskar and DCP Ashok Kamte all dead at one go!

    My friends outside the city sent me chat messages to enquire my whereabouts and what is happening in Mumbai. I told them I am safe at my home and there are series of firing taking place. This chat session continued for a long time. These friends are the ones whom I have never met; one is from Chennai and two others from States.

    Exchange of chat messages and keeping them posted of the news updates, making random calls to close network of friends and colleagues, giving a call to my boss to know where is he having his dinner tonight as by that time the news of guests being taken as hostages were aired following rapid fires at Leopald Café!

    The camera ran to ATS Vijay Karkare who was trying some bulletproof vest and a helmet and I wanted to salute this brave man! He hopped in to a jeep and left for the mission only to be killed in few minutes outside Cama Hospital along with Encounter Specialist Vijay Salaskar who himself has gunned down 75 odd notorious criminals from the underworld don gang with no fear in his nerves and DCP Ashok Kamte was also killed in the encounter.

    That made me jump out of my skin. Chat messages and Sms was exchanged faster than the bullets of any combat weapons! Who could it be? Underworld! Political Rivalry! Neighbouring Country! There was no clue of what is happening and now came the most heat wrenching news of firing and killing at Taj Heritage!

    My heart was bleeding for my city, a city where I was born, a city where millions want to come and try their destiny, a city which made many dreams come true was burning, was getting shattered, was bleeding and desperately looking for help!

    My friends not knowing how far is the place of events from my home kept asking me to stay indoors and not go out. They did not want me to go to office too the next day. My friend from Chennai was sending sms and chat messages as there was a cyclone in Tamil Nadu and intermittent power supply. I was multi-tasking by now, as I had started a thread on Mumbai Blasts in this site and was chatting with my friends simultaneously and sending sms too.

    It had been over 90 minutes that I had not drank a sip of water or moved out of my room! I then quickly gulped half a bottle of water and was glued to the television.

    I was following up the news watching it minutely, at the wee hours of the night, I could also see some gory bodies soaked in blood which was later blurred by the channel and few edited for general viewing! Yes, I could see the faces of some men whose head and face were smashed to death with firing!

    The dome of Taj was on fire and now I cannot sleep, no, how can I! I sat up the whole night, my friends were with me till 2.00 a.m. and later I asked them to give me a break as my fingers had started aching, I was typing since 9.00 p.m. incessantly and at past 2.00 my fingers gave way. They asked me to keep them posted through sms, if possible and I put that matter to rest.

    When I heard a crow cawing, my eyes went to the clock, gosh, it is morning and I have very few hours to hit the sack! With painful heart and tears in my eyes, I went to disturbed sleep with some nightmares and woke up at 8.00 a.m.

    I had to rush like crazy to finish my routines and reach office in a waiting car! Did I say, I had switched on the T.V. to a higher volume to catch up with the news even when I was under the shower?

    26th Nov, 2008 was one of the longest nights of my life!
     
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  2. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Mals,
    I can imagine you typing till your fingers hurt..this can be felt when we all saw the postings of the bomb and firing that took place in Mumbai.
    Sure it is one of the longest and darkest nights ever..

    sriniketan
     
  3. ANK

    ANK Bronze IL'ite

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    Mals!
    As usual, so beautifully written!

    Reading this was like being with u and catching up on the longest night our our lives! Thanks dearie for bringing such apna-pan and sensitiveness in ur writing!
     
  4. Gowri66

    Gowri66 Gold IL'ite

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    Mals,

    Could understand your feelings... with heavy heart !! Take care of yourself..... !!

    With love,
    Gowri
     
  5. Anandchitra

    Anandchitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Mals
    It is so sad to read all this. Again at this time ony prayers can be sent.
    One can only imagine what our city has suffered.
     
  6. Lalitha Shivaguru

    Lalitha Shivaguru Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Mals,

    A heart rending piece and news dear. Time had stood at that time. I came to know only in the morning and the impact didnt go inside but once in office, when I knew the enormity of the situation...I just could not work. Totally was glued to all the news channel thru net.

    Hats off you to Mals for bringing everything to us here by your updates. My standing ovation to you dear.
     
  7. Paulina

    Paulina Moderator Staff Member Platinum IL'ite

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    Malsy dear,
    A heart rending account of that fateful night.Reminds us of the transience of life.It takes but a second for one's world to cave in and reduce us to nothing .These happenings raise a million questions of ...why and how?
    Who has answers to all of them .Most of the times we are helpless and are at the mercy of the Divine Will.
    We can dissect the tragic events and find the culprits and conduct investigations galore but is there an answer to why such things have to happen at all ?
    Is there an answer to why human beings resort to such vandalism of life and eddifices which they have built up
    through the years?No light seems to be there at the end of the dark tunnel so far.
    Paulina
     
  8. sundarusha

    sundarusha Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Mals

    After reading your post on that fateful day, I turned the CNN on and followed it. Since it would have been midnight in BB by then, wondering whether to call my relatives in Vashi or not. So I kept following your thread closely and got all the updates. You have done such a good job of keeping us posted of all the happenings.Bow
     
  9. Antu601

    Antu601 Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Mals,
    i am sure God is watching us in everyway. A day has to come when there will be peace everywhere
    let us all spread the message of peace.
    hats off to you mals, for keeping us posted.
    antu
     
  10. malspie

    malspie Platinum IL'ite

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    My Dear Sri,

    Let me salute you for your selfless feedback. I admire your nature and these words come right from the core of my heart.

    Thanks dearie!
     

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