Katha Naikwade’s academic qualifications gave her a slight edge over others. An MSc degree in mathematics and her computer skills helped her get a job in the C category. “Although I am working in group C, the payments and paperwork are as per group D standards,” says the soft-spoken Katha, 31.

But with husband Hriday gone, she prefers a desk job at the Bombay Central office for the “security of a government job”. Plus, a five-day week means weekends are reserved exclusively for her daughter Nirmitee.

For Rehana Merchant, who is in her 60s, sharing her grief with other families has worked like an analgesic. “The incident left a trail of tragedies and I realised that I was not alone. I managed to contact many of the families,” said Merchant. Now, she feels a special bond with other families affected by 7/11.

Meeta Shah, 44, lost her husband Tushit to the Jogeshwari blast. She is now busy communicating with the Railway Ministry to seek help for the injured. “Families which lost their dear ones have received the compensation. We are putting in our efforts to get the injured victims a decent compensation and a job opportunity which would complement their skills,” said Shah, who led a memorandum to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav last week.

As Sandhya gets ready to announce the arrival of a Churchgate fast, she recalls how her nine-year-old son wouldn’t let her go to office fearing that she too would never come back. “But he is used to it now,” she says.