Terror- Part III- The Aftermath

8.36 PM, 30th Nov, Sunday
For the past 50 hours every news channel has been having the same 'Breaking News'. Now since the counter-terrorist operations are over, they are going to have another type of 'breaking news', only these will be heart breaking ones. The stories of people, real people, who lost their loved ones in this tragedy only to make up statistics. As Barkha Dutt put it "these are sons, fathers wives, real human beings, not just body count". As each one retells his story, there is no way a person is not affected. But what affects you further is the absolute inhuman mindset of politicians. Using such a situation as a vote gaining tactic is absolutely despicable. And blaming each other when the country is supposed to stand united! When will these men learn?



Another very different effect of this war situation is the fear growing in every one's mind. Apart from a few people boasting of a farce 'Bombay spirit', I am still scared. For the first time I have seen a Virar bound train so empty. For any visitor, the packed, airtight, claustrophobic Virar trains is a scary sight. But for a mumbaikar, nothing is scarier than an empty Virar train. It is then when you know something is really wrong with the city.

While sitting inside the train on the way to classes, I was always on the lookout. The constant thought running through my mind was what if someone started firing at the next station? After crossing every station, I used to breathe a sigh of relief. I get to live another few minutes! The strategy of what to do if something like that happened was constantly going on in my mind and improvisations were made to the plan with each passing minute. Only when I set foot back at home, I felt a pseudo sense of relief. But as Pranoy Roy said "What is this massacre going to create? A whole lot of scared, mistrusting individuals who will end up doubting every other person commuting beside him? An environment of hatred? Or will it create an environment of unity? With everyone standing together to fight- fight against terror!"

There is definitely fear in my mind and anger, not against other individuals and other religions but against the act itself for state of mind it can bring even a sane person to when faced with such gruesome circumstances.