
Earlier, raising a toast to the re-opening of his favourite cafe, Salim along with his young son, the first customer to enter the 'Leo', as the cafe is fondly called, said, "Come to Leo with hugs and smiles. Nothing to fear as the show must go on."
Trains witnessed usual office crowd with school as well as college students gearing up for another day of studies even as offices, banks and other institutions reopened on Monday.
Shops in south Mumbai, which were closed after the attacks on Wednesday night, resumed normal business on Monday.
Roads in Colaba saw heavy traffic and were choc-a-bloc with people stepping out of their homes to have a glimpse of the iconic Taj, Trident-Oberoi and the Nariman house where the terror drama unfolded.
The Marine Drive, which is usually full of joggers and tourists, came back to life.
Authorities finished removing bodies from the bullet- and grenade-scarred Taj Mahal hotel Monday, the final site of the Mumbai siege to be cleared, as schools and businesses reopened and commuters returned to work.
Security forces had been scouring the 565-room hotel for booby traps and bodies, and declared the landmark building cleared two days after they killed the last three militants holed up inside following a three-day rampage in India's financial centre that left at least 172 dead.
"We were apprehensive about more bodies being found. But this is not likely - all rooms in the Taj have been opened and checked," said Maharashtra state government spokesman Bhushan Gagrani.
... contd.