These comments by people from very different sections of society capture how the famous Mumbai spirit has been replaced by fear as the army and special forces combat terrorists in the city's two prominent hotel properties.
The trauma of multiple terror strikes in south Mumbai, focus of today's action, brought the city to a grinding halt with residents deciding not to take any chances and staying home.
Curfew was imposed around the iconic Tata-owned Taj hotel in Colaba, near the landmark Gateway of India, where terrorists held an unspecified number of people hostage, and police barred traffic at the start of Marine Drive, the sea-ward road that leads into the business district of Nariman Point. Oberoi Trident, the other hotel complex under siege, are both located at the other end of the road at Nariman Point.
Today, these usually busy areas had turned into fortresses as policemen, commandos and army personnel battled terrorists.
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All offices in south Mumbai were closed, and the city administration ordered schools and colleges across the city to do likewise. Attendance at offices in other parts of the city was thin and many taxis decided to stay off the road.
As soon as reports of gun battles, which were first suspected to be a gang war, were reported by television channels at around 10 pm on Wednesday, a large number of people who were still at work, took taxis to return home. On Thursday, local trains, the lifeline for commuters in the city, plied normally though two of the three lines — central suburban and harbour — were suspended as a precautionary measure after terrorists attacked Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, better known as Victoria Terminus.
The Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange were closed today, the first time since 28 July 2005 when the markets were closed owing to floods. Foreign exchange, government securities and money markets were also closed, as were the spot gold market in the city's Zaveri Bazar and the futures market.
“I have never seen Hill Road that lifeless before,” said Nandini Kotwal, a resident of Bandra, the western Mumbai suburb. In the southern part of the city, the over-a-century-old Crawford Market was also closed.
Banks also reported minimal business. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India has said settlements of all outstanding transactions will be postponed to November 28 and transactions under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), conducted yesterday, will be reversed on November 28.
While flights operated by Jet Airways and Air India to and from Mumbai were unaffected, many travellers into the city cancelled or postponed plans. Foreign airlines like Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines cancelled flights to Mumbai, and Lufthansa diverted a flight to Delhi.
There were reports that hotels were restricted from accepting fresh guests, and those staying at Taj were alerted by the hotel and advised to stay away from the hotel premises as soon as the terrorists struck late on Wednesday evening.
There was heavy police presence on the roads though there were barricades few and far between and policemen checked vehicles on the road only sparingly.