Damayanti Gohil, in her late 60s, has mixed emotions for Nariman House which stands opposite her one-storey residence. Her son Harish died on November 26, 2008 after terrorists who had entered in the building fired random gunshots.
“Sometimes I wish this building was not here,” she said, pointing at it. “He was my support. Even after eight years, I stare at that very spot where he was shot. What was his fault,” she said with tears.
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Harish, a third year graduation student from Wilson College was sitting with his friends watching the India-England cricket match. Burst of crackers diverted their attention, only to realise those were gunshots. “They all ran to see what happened. Realising the danger, he retreated and was standing on the footpath outside our residence with an eye on Nariman House. Suddenly a bullet was fired from the building and it hit his chest,” Ms. Gohil said.
Harish’s father died when he was only four months old. The government, as a part of procedure, handed over a cheque for Rs.5 lakh. “I have lost my crores, my support. Does this compensation really matter?” she said.
Santosh Veer is also one of the victims of the terror attack on Mumbai.
“A grenade was thrown from the Nariman House, which exploded in front of us,” he told The Hindu . He tried to duck like it is shown in films, he remembers. “But that was reality and in a second I realised that my leg was hurt,” he said. Mr. Veer was rushed to the hospital as it started bleeding profusely. “Such kind of terror act was unheard-of and I pray to god that no one suffers like Mumbai did,” he said.
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