Half an hour too late

Endless notes, hate messages, abuses etc. have been hurled in retaliation to the grenades hurled by impotent bastards ambushed in close-to-heritage structures like the Taj, Oberoi’s, and Nariman House. The recent inhumane terror attacks have left us with a cocktail of emotions that change every passing second. My heart and mind have been raped several times over thinking of what if I was there at VT station when the gratuitous firing took place. Just half an hour too late. I thank my stars and all in between, to have reached home safe and sound on an unusual Wednesday which could have been the last issue shutting of my life (I work for a weekly travel magazine which we put to bed every Wednesday). Almost every week, by the time we shut the issue it’s 10pm or plus.

Just before leaving office at 8.30pm that day (November 26, 2008) I said to my Editor, “We’ve shut quite early today?”

To which he answered, “Most of the pages were done yesterday itself, only cover story was left to be done.”

That question and answer will be etched in my memory forever, as it will serve as the reason for my survival in the attack. All happens for a reason.

So many could have been lucky, like me, to have taken an unusual decision, an unusual call that might have saved what they could have gone through otherwise.

But most others, including some brave officers could not live to see the operation complete. All salutes, all respect, too all U deserve it…

Many thanks to the supernatural power for keeping me alive to write this little note of thanks…the power that controls time, the power that ran half an hour late…