Recollecting the fateful night

The only signs giving away the terror that struck the hospital two years ago,are the lift doors and walls that are still littered with bullet marks. “The flooring had given away,there were big holes where they had dropped granites. The walls had blood stains,and the terrorists had blown apart the call buttons on the lift and its doors. It was a pathetic sight. Those of us holed up in the hospital all night only absorbed the extent of the danger we had been in,after we came to this floor the next day,” recalls Sister Anjali Kulthe,staff nurse,who was on duty at the first floor’s antenatal ward.

“I had 20 pregnant women under my care. When one of the bullets grazed past one of our servant’s cheeks,we realized the terrorists were inside the hospital compound,” said the 41-year-old nurse who was the sole witness from the hospital to be called to identify Ajmal Kasab. She bundled all 20 patients in the ward’s pantry,and kept them locked till dawn. “I ventured out only twice — once to escort one of the patients to the labour ward. She had a history of hypertension and she went into labour under all the tension.

She was Goli’s mother— Goli was born that same fateful night,says Kulthe. Goli’s parents have visited her twice after that to thank her profusely. Ironically,Kulthe is unaware that the two-year-old’s home at Ambedkar Nagar was washed away by the rains. “They came last about six months ago. I had no idea about this,” she says shocked.

The four feet wall the terrorists jumped over to enter the hospital is still the hospital’s only compund wall. “We were told the wall would be raised after 26/11. We were all so scared,the authorities promised us anything then. Nothing has come of it so far,” said a senior doctor. Sister Meenakshi Musale who was on duty on the second floor Nenonatal ICU,said she was thankful that proper bolts had been installed on the ICU doors. “That night of 26/11,I stashed the door with cots and stretchers. I even dragged the X-ray machine against the door,praying that it would hold it,” she said.

“It was only then that I noticed that the windows had no grills— the glass was shattered by the bullets. I had 11 babies and six mothers inside. Only I know,how I passed that night hoping against hope,” shudders Musale.

Life has moved on for the staff since then,but some scars refuse to heal. Sister Kulthe cannot forget Kasab’s reaction after she identified him at Arthur Road. “I still wake up sweating at the memory of it. When I pointed at him,he laughed instantly and said Haan sisterji,aapne ekdum sahi pehchaana. Main hi hoon woh (yes sister,you are right,I was the one that night). He showed no remorse,” said the nurse.

Sons of both the deceased staff members have now been employed at the hospital as ward boys. “Vilas Ughade,son of deceased Baban Ughade,and Pravin Narkar,son of late Bhanu Narkar,decided to take on their father’s jobs. Both are now on leave,as they requested to go to their native town to commemorate the second death anniversary of their fathers,” said a senior doctor. Both could not be reached for comment.