Mumbai slowly coming to terms

Mumbai, Nov 30 (PTI) 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 India's financial capital 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 a 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 middle of the night I was woken up by loud blasts and
thats when the fear crept in. My husband whose factory is
getting renovated visit his office the next day, something
which he has not done for many a 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 quite 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 SAP
PMR