26-11-1977 to 26-11-2008 to 26-11-2009
I stayed away from blogging for many other reasons but incidentally 26/11, I could not stop myself!
26/11 is date now in the league of those black dates such as 9/11 or 7/11 where ordinary innocent civilians got killed in the name of Religious War right at their work place or while commuting to home or office or at a place which they used to visit often. Incidentally it is this same black date that I share my birthday too. I was born 32 years ago, but on 26/11 – 2008, I was reborn.
I did not witness the event live but I happened to be in the same area where one of the actions took place. I was at Jazz by Bay, Pizzeria Restaurant right at the junction of Marine Drive and Churchgate Road. I was having my birthday dinner with my beloved. What gives me goose bumps is not being there, but actually these three things –
1)My favorite eat out place is always Bade Miyan, a Mughlai Fast Food corner behind Taj Hotel, but something made me choose this place. What if I would have chosen Bade Miyan...?
2)At about 9 p.m. me and my girl friend finished eating and I forwarded my card for the bill. For no rhyme or reason, the waiter took 45 minutes to clear our bill. I volunteered to scold for that unwarranted delay. But, something else was in store for me. If he would have relieved us by same time, me and my girl friend would have definitely been at C.S.T. station, to head back home, by 9:30 or 9:40 p.m. welcoming our death messenger Kasab & Ismail. What if the waiter would have relieved us sharp at 9:00 p.m. ?
3)We were supposed to take a walk after the dinner around Marine Drive, but just then a lady ran towards us and especially told us, the couple to head back for there was a blast at the Oberoi Hotel. I heard the blast but just like many I thought it was some fireworks of some joy and still wanted to take the walk. How ignorant I was... ! Some how my beloved did not want to go ahead and forced me to head towards home, where in we got a cab finally and were heading towards CST, incidentally the cabbie took the route towards a direction which was not towards CST since the cops has already cordoned off that area. We just crossed the route where the infamous and visually imprinting Qualis seated with Kasab & Ismail firing was passing. I turned around from the cab and saw the vehicle going. What if cab would have got delayed for a few minutes ?
I did not realize in what mess I would have got caught or was sailing easily as if guided by some friendly angel. When I reached home I realized, I just missed death thrice on the same day when I was born. This new born realization towards life has not yet sunk, though I never expressed it to anyone. Today after a year I am sharing this small anecdote.
About 5 days later I heard that Mumbai is back on its heel with its invisible self heal attitude. It actually angered me and I fired back with a mail to my acquaintances shaming Mumbai’s Resilience which has actually made the people who are supposed to protect us, Lethargic! I did get many calls of appreciation but a year later the Resilience apparently has only come to show that Life Must Go On since we can do nothing anyway, except to light candles, blog, fire mails, sit in a talk show, call politicians and useless retired Secret Service or Office Bearers across the border(read Pakistan) on Prime Time News Channel(read Arnab’s Newshour on Times Now at 9 p.m. and Sagarika’s on CNN IBN at 10 p.m.) and ask them the so called uncomfortable questions to remind them of their accountability and things like this. R. R. Patil is back as Home Minister. The over aggressive but with futile agenda clan is busy keeping Marathi Pride(minus the lives) top on its agenda. Aam junta is still loitering for opportunities to survive. Teens are keen on Roadies, Pubs & few in some esoteric habits such as Career etc. Bollywood incidentally has not cashed in on the event, surprise, surprise, though we had seen R G Verma with V. Deshmukh at the Trident after the 8 Terrorists were slained!
There have been few new things happenings though, such as a Commando Unit called Force One(in addition to the Counter Terrorist Unit NSG) and some technologically strange vehicles for the Civil Forces. I hope the Intelligence Failure does not bring the same fate again for few more honor killings.
I received lots of calls and messages today for my birthday from many of my near and dear ones, but I did not receive them. My apologies for this unwarranted act, but frankly speaking, I am not one of those who forget and move on. I do take time more than requi red. This blog-posting is dedicated to that date, which sadly is also my birthday and strangely my second chance of life day. Life has not been the same for me since 26-11-2008!
26/11 is date now in the league of those black dates such as 9/11 or 7/11 where ordinary innocent civilians got killed in the name of Religious War right at their work place or while commuting to home or office or at a place which they used to visit often. Incidentally it is this same black date that I share my birthday too. I was born 32 years ago, but on 26/11 – 2008, I was reborn.
I did not witness the event live but I happened to be in the same area where one of the actions took place. I was at Jazz by Bay, Pizzeria Restaurant right at the junction of Marine Drive and Churchgate Road. I was having my birthday dinner with my beloved. What gives me goose bumps is not being there, but actually these three things –
1)My favorite eat out place is always Bade Miyan, a Mughlai Fast Food corner behind Taj Hotel, but something made me choose this place. What if I would have chosen Bade Miyan...?
2)At about 9 p.m. me and my girl friend finished eating and I forwarded my card for the bill. For no rhyme or reason, the waiter took 45 minutes to clear our bill. I volunteered to scold for that unwarranted delay. But, something else was in store for me. If he would have relieved us by same time, me and my girl friend would have definitely been at C.S.T. station, to head back home, by 9:30 or 9:40 p.m. welcoming our death messenger Kasab & Ismail. What if the waiter would have relieved us sharp at 9:00 p.m. ?
3)We were supposed to take a walk after the dinner around Marine Drive, but just then a lady ran towards us and especially told us, the couple to head back for there was a blast at the Oberoi Hotel. I heard the blast but just like many I thought it was some fireworks of some joy and still wanted to take the walk. How ignorant I was... ! Some how my beloved did not want to go ahead and forced me to head towards home, where in we got a cab finally and were heading towards CST, incidentally the cabbie took the route towards a direction which was not towards CST since the cops has already cordoned off that area. We just crossed the route where the infamous and visually imprinting Qualis seated with Kasab & Ismail firing was passing. I turned around from the cab and saw the vehicle going. What if cab would have got delayed for a few minutes ?
I did not realize in what mess I would have got caught or was sailing easily as if guided by some friendly angel. When I reached home I realized, I just missed death thrice on the same day when I was born. This new born realization towards life has not yet sunk, though I never expressed it to anyone. Today after a year I am sharing this small anecdote.
About 5 days later I heard that Mumbai is back on its heel with its invisible self heal attitude. It actually angered me and I fired back with a mail to my acquaintances shaming Mumbai’s Resilience which has actually made the people who are supposed to protect us, Lethargic! I did get many calls of appreciation but a year later the Resilience apparently has only come to show that Life Must Go On since we can do nothing anyway, except to light candles, blog, fire mails, sit in a talk show, call politicians and useless retired Secret Service or Office Bearers across the border(read Pakistan) on Prime Time News Channel(read Arnab’s Newshour on Times Now at 9 p.m. and Sagarika’s on CNN IBN at 10 p.m.) and ask them the so called uncomfortable questions to remind them of their accountability and things like this. R. R. Patil is back as Home Minister. The over aggressive but with futile agenda clan is busy keeping Marathi Pride(minus the lives) top on its agenda. Aam junta is still loitering for opportunities to survive. Teens are keen on Roadies, Pubs & few in some esoteric habits such as Career etc. Bollywood incidentally has not cashed in on the event, surprise, surprise, though we had seen R G Verma with V. Deshmukh at the Trident after the 8 Terrorists were slained!
There have been few new things happenings though, such as a Commando Unit called Force One(in addition to the Counter Terrorist Unit NSG) and some technologically strange vehicles for the Civil Forces. I hope the Intelligence Failure does not bring the same fate again for few more honor killings.
I received lots of calls and messages today for my birthday from many of my near and dear ones, but I did not receive them. My apologies for this unwarranted act, but frankly speaking, I am not one of those who forget and move on. I do take time more than requi red. This blog-posting is dedicated to that date, which sadly is also my birthday and strangely my second chance of life day. Life has not been the same for me since 26-11-2008!
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