National

'The Band Stopped Playing'

Jolted by the terror unleashed on their city—the bloodbath and destruction of landmarks—Mumbaikars question, Why us?

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'The Band Stopped Playing'
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Times of India

But within minutes our cell phones started shrieking and we realised it was something more than personal-score-settling. Anxious family members started calling, enquiring about our safety. By which time Khalid Ansari, Ayaz Memon and Dina Vakil were in touch with their respective newspapers, trying to garner information. Appalled, we learned it was not just a shootout at Leopold, there had been an attack on the Oberoi and the Taj too. Then we heard more, that hapless people at VT Railway station had been fired on, that there was blood all over the floor, and bodies.... That ‘they’ were brazenly roaming the streets, from VT to Cama Hospital to Metro, automatic weapons in hand, rucksacks on their backs. Gloom set in, the fairy lights in the trees seemed to dim, laughter died down completely. People, huddled in groups, left their dinner and spoke in hushed tones. It was clear a huge terrorist plan was unfolding and the hotels, symbols of Bombay’s commercial success, were the main targets. Other five-star hotels could also be attacked. Anil Malik, GM of ITC Grand Maratha, and Armando Kraenzlin of Four Seasons were present. They excused themselves and left the Fire Temple premises.

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My dejection was mounting. Between answering calls from family and friends from outside Bombay and India, I found myself pacing in a corner, away from people. I couldn’t help but cry. A passing waiter, a young boy, handed me a napkin, saying, "Don’t cry Madam, it will soon be all right." That’s Bombay, my city, the solidarity its denizens show in crises is touching. I read my text messages, two were from regular letter writers of Afternoon, the newspaper I founded. They enquired if I was safe. These were names I couldn’t even put faces to. Other messages from acquaintances asked if I was on the road, that if I needed to, I should just come home to them! The Bombay spirit, dented as it is, is still intact.

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The band had long stopped playing. Instead there were announcements being made. "The police think we should stay put for at least two hours." We did. But later, everyone was restless, wanting to return to their loved ones. Madhu and Bittu Sahgal said they would rather spend the night in the safety of the Agiary grounds, in any case they had to pick up their daughter from the President Hotel nearby, which was not allowing anyone in or out. Sunil Alagh decided to take a chance and go. Dina Vakil said they had formed a convoy and felt it was safe enough to go that way.

The wedding party slowly disbanded. Bachi, as hostess, tried to keep some cheer going but it was a difficult proposition, especially since we had just heard that a group of terrorists had hijacked a police jeep and had opened fire at a group of journalists outside Metro cinema.

However, we decided to leave too. Putting all our jewellery in our evening bags, my friend Zeba Kohli, her husband Rajesh and I, with trepidation, drove away in a convoy of four cars. This was around 12.40 a.m. We were in Navy Nagar, the Defence area, and we saw trucks full of soldiers parked along the way.

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When we reached Air India building at Nariman Point, the full import of the events hit us. Marine Drive was crammed with police vehicles, fire engines, TV vans, ambulances. Photographers, journalists and police swarmed the place. The area beyond Oberoi was cordoned off. We had to reach Malabar Hill, which is just at the end of Marine Drive and up Walkeshwar Road. But when we reached the intersection of Chowpatty and Opera House, there was brief pandemonium. The posse of policemen there waved their hands frantically, whistled, ran about. The motorist in front started to reverse, and would have driven into us had Rajesh not veered away in time. We asked the police, "What’s happening?" They yelled, "Go! Go! Go!" There was urgency in their voices, and we zoomed away. Only to reach home, turn on the TV and discover that the terrorists who had hijacked the police jeep had driven from Metro towards Opera House and were apprehended at Girgaum Chowpatty and gunned down. Minutes after we left the spot.

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In times of sudden violence, you just can’t tell the black from the white.

Farzana Contractor is Editor and Publisher, Upper Crust, Mumbai

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