A terrifying alarm!

I’m not reading or following any news of the terror attacks and the jokes ensuing from Pakistan sometimes about non-state actors and sometimes about Kasab being dead! I hardly discussed these issues recently…most Mumbaiites have given up on this issue altogether and it has become a non-issue now what with our dear Prime Minister’s heart becoming the centre of national attraction.

But a few terrorists woke me up early morning rather scared the daylights out of me. I don’t recollect the entire sequence but after much hiding and strategizing an escape, I finally gave up when one of them entered our room and pointed his gun at me. He looked so vulnerable and his hands were trembling. I don’t recollect who else was in my room but most of them had escaped save for me and a few others who got trapped. Maybe, I was in some heritage hotel or some university convocation hall since the setting was a grand one.

That moment was pure terror and all I wanted was to be anywhere but there! My heart prayed to his – just shoot right away but when I looked into his eyes, I felt pity. He was just following an order – an order to simply terrorize without rhyme or reason. His heart wouldn’t accept that, that poor thing! And unfortunately, I woke up…didn’t get to experience what decision he took.

Just the dream was so terrifying; I can now also imagine what must have transpired in those last moments for the captured hostages. I wonder what is terrorism and who is truly the ‘terrorist’ – the guy carrying the weapon or the guy defending himself – both of them seemed helpless!