We have seen it all, 24 hr television, online news, blogs and on social networking sites – the trauma, the scare and the bloodbath perpetrated in the three-day long siege of a city we all love. Amidst the shock, the distress and the death there was one piece of news that trickled into our humdrum lives – my close relative had lost a very good friend by the name of Kaizad. Kaizad, a Taj hotel staff lost his life inside the kitchen, after receiving 3 gunshots. He was on his way to becoming one of India's most sought-after young chefs. In his last moments, Kaizad called some of his closest friends, in an effort maybe to say a final ‘goodbye’.
For me Kaizad is just a casual acquaintance – someone I had met only once at a relative’s wedding – a tall, strappy fellow in his mid twenties, marked by a quiet and calm demeanour. Images of that wedding night flicker in my mind…and more poignantly now.
Kaizad is only one of those unknown faces amidst the many hundreds who have lost their lives in this dastardly act. And in the end, the so-called ‘spirit’ of Mumbai will indeed live on – hopefully our collective conscience will not forget this attack on our pride, our souls and our lives.
