Ajmal Kasab

#MumbaiAttacks #WillNeverForget "Even at 12:30 AM, Papa kept on reassuring me that there would be no trouble at his checkpost. He always had this habit of keeping us away from his professional tension. Even if he was under a lot of pressure, he would never show that at home." Eleven years after Mumbai experienced the life-changing terrorist attacks on 26/11, The Better India pays homage to the heroes who fought bravely that day and their efforts to rebuild afterwards.

Shruti’s husband, Rajan Kamble, had been a maintenance worker at the Taj Hotel and the publication had carried a detailed story on how he had been shot by terrorists while he was ushering guests to safety.

"Rage was boiling in me as I watched the terrorists firing at the passengers. So, I continued making announcements so the innocent people could be safe. While we could see the terrorists, thankfully, since we were sitting on the first floor, they could not see us."

On the evening of November 26, 2008, Mishrilal was ferrying two passengers to the railway station – his sister Vijayi and her husband, Ramkomal Khushwaha - to the railway station. Mishrilal was, unfortunately, one among many who died that night. He took a bullet to his chest.

Rattled by the sight of the two lifeless bodies that lay in a pool of blood at the entrance, the staff nurse quickly ran and slammed the heavy double doors of the antenatal care ward.

“Terrorism is a man-made disaster. It leaves you with a lack of control. While in natural disasters, people often say it was mother earth etc., it is still a matter of faith. But in man-made disasters, it leaves you feeling helpless and powerless.”

In an exclusive interview with The Better India, Divya narrates how 26/11 changed not just the lives of those inside hijacked spaces, but also their loved ones who watched the horror unfurl on their television sets.

"We are in the CCTV room [on] the third floor of Taj hotel. Terrorists are in room number 631. They came to the fifth floor also. We fired at them, so they went back to the sixth. I have 3-4 people with me. DCP Rajwardhan is also here. Please send assault teams,"

Honoured with the President’s Police Medal for bravery during 26/11, this top cop has left behind a legacy that ensures the Mumbai police is better prepared to protect the city. #IndiaRemembers #MumbaiAttacks

"I stood up against a terrorist and wasn’t afraid because it was the right thing to do."