The Hindu Business Line : Spirit of mumbai

On November 26, around 9 p.m. I received a frantic SMS from my son in Singapore, asking where I was and if he could call me. I called back and told him I was at home. He was relieved and asked me to watch television. I was amazed to discover that within a few minutes the news of the terrorist attack in Mumbai had spread all over the world.

Until two weeks before that, analyst meets were regularly held at least three days a week at the Trident. Besides this, every other type of meeting associated with the Capital markets were held at the Trident and Oberoi, and would see us seated at the coffee shop or at Tiffins.

In fact, I could easily say that four days a week, between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., the Trident was like a second home or office to me and many more people in my profession. The next few hours found us pondering over vulnerable we were and on the meaning of life. Thursday was a forced holiday and the whole day was spent in enquiring about near and dear ones.

I was touched by a call from a valet at the Oberoi who used to park my car regularly, asking about my wellbeing. With that call it suddenly dawned on me that had there been no economic slowdown and life had continued as usual, I could likely have found myself on that fateful day at the same entrance through which the terrorists had entered and started firing. That frightening thought still haunts me weeks later.

Mumbai's landmarks - the Trident and the Taj Mahal Tower - are reopening on December 21 and I would love to be there to salute the spirit of the staff of these hotels, the people who laid down their lives for the citizens of this city and for that valet who showed that he cares for all of us.

The author is founder of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services, Mumbai

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