BLOOD OF ROSES

“The flames are silent,

peace is violent,

tears are frozen,

'cause massacre was chosen.”

26 Nov’, 2008;
Location: Leopold Cafe

Time: 08:30pm.

...there she laid, living her last moments, in my arms. She was trying hard to say something. After some struggle, she whispered, with a smile on her face “Hope you got the answer”. Without any hesitation, I took the ring lying on the floor, amidst the pool of blood and put it on her finger, saying “Our souls are united. We shall be one, in life and after death.” Tears flowed down her eyes. Slowly, she leaned forward to kiss me. As our lips touched, she left her last breath. My heart sank, and with it disappeared my dreams. The entire sight was disgusting to see and unforgettable to feel. Tens of bodies lie down dead and hundreds came grieving for their loved ones. While I was living the most terrible moments of my life, I got a phone call from our department ordering our team to regroup and I left everything to attend my duties as an assistant police inspector under the leadership of Mr.Hemant Karkare sir and did it as soon as possible.

“Assistant Police Inspector, Jadhav, reporting sir”, this salute being my most emotional of all   

27^th Nov, 2008.
Place: Near Crime Branch Office.

Our operation became extremely difficult. Darkness caused us more problems along with the fact that terrorists were well prepared and had been planning this for months. We left a couple of constables at the back entrance of the Cama and Albless Hospital and even refused to take a driver with us as it may cost the life of another innocent person. Salaskar took over the driver’s seat. With the information we got over a wireless, we came to know that terrorists were hiding behind a red car near the ATM. That’s it. No turning back. We are going to live (or probably die) the most prestigious moments of our lives. We hugged each other, probably for the last time and raced towards the car. As my body is approaching the persons who shattered the lives of Mumbai, my heart was approaching the person who beautifully built the life of mine….

26 Nov, 2008,

Place: My Home,

Time: 02:00 pm.

I was doing my favorite past time- watching her eyes. Ananya, was my friend and I need not say best, because she was the only friends I ever had and not to mention, she had the most beautiful pair of eyes in the entire world. With a thick line of Kohl, under her eyes and thin strand of hair over her eyes, her beauty was immortal and inexpressible. 

   “Hey An, I wanna take you to the dinner” I said, finally breaking the silence.

   “Oooh. So Mr. Busy changed to Mr. Romantic today! What a pleasant surprise. Think over it” she laughed. 

  “No more thoughts, this is final. Leopold Café, 8 o clock” I said, thinking about the little time left to reharse my proposal!

The bleeping Radar brought me back into my senses. As we approached the Rang Bhavan, we saw a terrorist running towards the car. Our team opened fire immediately and successfully injured the terrorist on the arm, causing him to drop his AK 47. As we started getting down the car, a second terrorist appeared and fired back. Everyone died on the spot, except me, being on the rear side of the car! Again, insane murders happened, this time right in front of my eyes and I was helpless! As the terrorists approached our vehicle, I laid down, acting dead. They took the bodies and dumped on the road. They headed towards metro and when I tried to follow them, I was not able to walk, due to severe injuries above the knees. I lost my team, entire team. My thoughts went back to the moment when I lost my team…

 26^th Nov, 2008.

Place:  Leopold Café

Time: 08:00 pm

“Are you gonna talk or just stand staring at me” she giggled.

I knelt down on my knees and started taking out a ring from pocket

“Come on yaar, don’t start being too filmy” she shouted in excitement.

 “An, you were the only friend in my life. You are my only love and will be, forever. Do you accept to be my better half and complete me?” I proposed expecting a yes or less probably a no.

But never did I expect that bullet would be an answer. It went right into the heart of Ananya and my heart sank! I was cursing myself. “If only I had proposed standing it would have hit me and my heart (An) would be still alive.”

As I laid down beside my dead team members, I crawled to the mobile and called the headquarters. Kasab was caught alive after 2 days, thanks to the every soldier who fought and lived this hell of a situation to make our Mumbai a heaven again and salutes to every soldier who sacrificed their lives so that millions of people can happily live theirs.

29^th NOV, 2008:

   I saw Ananya again, in every life we’ve saved and felt her beautiful smile in every face of Mumbai… May be she’s really smiling, from heaven.

 __________________________________________________________

•  Later, Kasab was caught alive, salutes to the officers who sacrificed their lives in the process. 

•  Hemant Karkare (12 December 1954 – 26 November 2008) was the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). He was killed during the 2008 Mumbai attacks after being shot three times in the chest.  His bravery was honoured generously with the Ashoka Chakra on 26 January 2009.

• 164 people died in these attacks and so many police officers sacrificed their lives in the attacks. And our great jurisdiction is feeding Kasab with the best quality food and making this 24 year old, a celebrity, rather than a terrorist!

•    Political leaders were highly criticised after the attacks, saying that their ineptness was partly responsible. The Times of India commented on its front page that "Our politicians fiddle as innocents die."