11 Years Of 26/11: Here Are Some Heart Wrenching Stories From That Dreadful Night

The dreadful night of 26/11 has been etched in the memories of Mumbaikars. However, a person's real ability is tested only during adversity. From a girl who was shot on her leg to a nurse who saved the lives of 20 pregnant women in Cama Hospital, here are some heart-wrenching stories of the survivors. 

Humans of Bombay shared a post of Devika Rotawan who was just 10-years old when she was shot on her leg at CSMT Station: 

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"I was barely 10 years old when a bullet pierced my right leg. It happened at CST station. I was with my father and brother and we had stopped for a while to use the restroom. Before we knew it, chaos had erupted all around us. My instinct told me to run and that’s when I saw the man who shot straight at me. I felt so much pain… I collapsed. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital the next day. The doctor informed us about what took place on 26/11. I was so angry. Flashbacks of women and children dying at the station came back to me. But the clearest memory I had was of his face. I spent 1.5 months in the hospital being operated for the wound, but I couldn’t get his face out of my mind. As soon as I was better, I moved back to my village with my family. My father was contacted by the police to testify in court. We had to identify the attacker since we were some of the only survivors. I wasn’t scared, I wanted him to be punished. Our extended family stopped talking to us after this decision… they thought they would be attacked by terrorists because we were testifying. I walked to court in crutches. Out of the four men presented to me, I immediately recognised Ajmal Kasab. My heart was filled with anger. I wanted justice right there. That’s also when I made the decision to become an IPS officer. I thought I was being brave, but after this everyone disassociated from us. My father’s dry fruit shop shut down because no one wanted to do business with him. Our landlords hiked the rent because they think we’ve made money out of the publicity. The State Government’s promise of a flat is still unfulfilled. But we’re not giving up because we did what we had to for the country. Even though Ajmal Kasab is no more, my anger will only fully subside once I become an IAS officer and fight all this injustice. ‘Till date, I can’t enjoy Diwali or celebrate India’s win in Cricket because the sound of fireworks traumatizes me -- I know I’m not getting all these years back, but there will be an answer someday. They will face the consequence of raising a finger towards India… I will make sure of it.” #superhumansofbombay

A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay) on Nov 25, 2019 at 9:05pm PST

Also Read: 26/11 Terror Attack: Hemant Karkare's Daughter Pens A Heartfelt Memoir

As stated in The Indian Express,  Anjali Kulthe, a nurse in Cama Hospital had saved the lives of 20 pregnant woman. 

On the night of 26/11, Anjali Kulthe had charge of 20 women, all due to deliver babies, a couple of them already going into labour. So when the staff nurse at Cama and Albless Hospital saw two guards were shot dead at the entrance to the hospital, she raced to close the heavy double doors of the ante-natal care ward, slamming them shut just as two gunmen sprinted up to the first-floor landing.

From 8 pm until 8 am, Kulthe kept the 20 women and some of their family members calm in a tiny pantry space at the far end of the ward. For nearly an hour, the terrorists exchanged fire from the terrace landing with a poorly equipped police team below, the building shuddering with every grenade explosion.

Anjali emerged once from their hiding place, to escort a hypertensive woman in labour to the delivery room, one floor up. “Holding the patient’s hand, I walked up along the stairway wall, my mind only on the unborn baby’s safety,” she says. Now 50, she has a deep pride in having saved lives. Her son wants to join the armed forces, a decision she wholeheartedly supports.

Also Read: Wife Of 26/11 Martyr Targeted By 'Tak Tak' Gang

Twitteratis including Smriti Irani, Ratan Tata and Barkha Dutt too paid their tribute to the martyrs of 26/11: 

11 years after the most horrific terror attack, an Act of War, a moment of gratitude for all heroes and martyrs. Among them Tukaram Omble, an ASI & Army Naik who took the burst of bullets from Kasab's AK47 so that he could be captured alive. #NeverForget #MumbaiTerrorAttack pic.twitter.com/v1HZsPcU5t

— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) November 26, 2019

26/11 #MumbaiTerrorAttack - Not Forgotten, Never to be Forgiven 🙏 pic.twitter.com/mggKIhq22H

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) November 26, 2019

#MumbaiTerrorAttack Saluting the martyrdom of the heroes of 26/11 Mumbai Attacks 🙏🙏🙏 #MumbaiAttacks #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/UhjWuuwuJn

— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) November 26, 2019

It's been exactly 11 years since the #Mumbai #2611attack. Remembering the real heroes who fought & sacrificed their lives in one of the most brutal terrorist attacks... pic.twitter.com/Zh1j9rDUil

— Amit Panchal (@AmitHPanchal) November 26, 2019

On the 11th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, we remember everyone who lost their lives and mourn with their families. A grateful nation salutes the security personnel who made the supreme sacrifice. We remain firm in our resolve to defeat all forms of terrorism.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 26, 2019

A lot has been said about the tragedy of 26/11. The memory of the carnage and loss of life, is still painful. We won't forget the needless suffering caused across the city. But we remain proud of the spirit and the sense of unity of Mumbai. We can be hurt, but not knocked out. pic.twitter.com/8xghKMYG4f

— Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) November 26, 2019

Also Read: 26/11 Terror Attacks: Indian Government Is Trying To Extradite US-Based Accused David Headley

People even took to Reddit to share their horrifying experience, here are some of it: 

I remember how all the reporters were lying on the street with their heads covered and all the camera set up.

My house was near Taj Hotel and the noise of the bullets being fired from both the ends were deafening. I still cannot get over the trauma and being house-arrest for such a long time. Even after everything was calmed down, I feared to go to the markets as well. -Vanessa D'Souza

One of my close friends was at Oberoi and the air condition was shut off. He had to put a wet towel below the opening of the door to block the smoke from coming in. He tried to break the window from a chair but was unsuccessful. After more than 24 gruelling hours, he heard a knock on his door and it was one of the commandos who had come to rescue him.