26/11 - The sight inside Oberoi left me numb!

I entered the Trident hotel just a few hours after the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos killed the terrorist who was holed up in The Oberoi hotel. Just as I walked in with a police source, the team of NSG snipers was leaving the hotel to a loud cheer and clapping by the hotel staff. Such was the relief that a couple of senior hotel staff members even saluted them.

However the magnitude of the horrendous act started dawning on me as foul smell of decomposed bodies filled the air. The smell was extremely strong even in the lobby of Trident which was at quite a distant from the lobby of The Oberoi, where the bloodbath had taken place.

“Please wear a mask,” said my source passing on a mask to me, “the smell will become strong as we get close to the scene of crime. It is nauseating,” he said. He further said that on Wednesday evening immediately after the shooting, authorities had switched off the centralised air conditioning of the hotel, all the windows were closed and the dead bodies have been lying around for almost three days now.

Having been to several crime scenes before I thought I would be able to take this as well, but what awaited me was a sight which sent shivers down my spine and gave me goose pimples.

A trail of blood past the Piaget showroom led me to the lobby of The Oberoi. Shattered glass panes of the Tiffin restaurant bore evidence of the gruesome terror acts two days ago. Just as I neared the entrance, at least eight highly decomposed bodies lay in front of me. The bodies had bloated and had become so black that even their family members could not recognise them. Their clothes had been ripped off due to excessive bloating.

Empty shells of AK47 assault rifles, pools of blood, shattered glass and food were splattered all over the beige-coloured carpet of the Tiffin restaurant.

The most shocking sight was of the tables which still had half eaten food in plates and glasses half-filled with wine and champagne. It was as if the guests had left the tables for sometime and would be back to finish their meals.

One of the police officers present there said that Kandhar restaurant which is situated on the first floor was the most affected because it just has one door for entry and exit. The gunmen had blocked the entrance and sprayed bullets on those dining inside.

The famous Piano in the lobby was completely destroyed, probably by a grenade attack. The piano was the most priced possession of the hotel, said a member of the hotel staff with moist eyes.

Just as I was coming to terms with the dastardly act, my source said that I would have to leave since senior police officials were on their way to visit the spot.

While I was walking back, my eyes fell on a book ‘Beyond the battlefield’, which incidentally was launched at The Oberoi in 2004 to commemorate the affiliation between a ship of the Indian Navy and the Maratha Light Infantry. I wondered - what else was beyond this particular battlefield, where several innocent people lost their lives.

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