When we started, our young, dedicated reporters took it up as a journalistic challenge. The search for an address — many a times the wrong one was printed in the BMC list — then meeting and convincing a family. Going back to another when it was ready. Speaking to friends and colleagues. By the time we were able to complete a few, we realised how difficult it was. That made our resolve stronger. It had to be done. Many a time, we have had reporters coming back in tears, driven to exhaustion by the sheer emotional weight of the assignment.

Yet, while they took a break, another set got on the job. And now that we have been able to tell the stories, all of them, we realise the effort was well worth it: a life-changing experience with personal lessons for each one of us.

Year 2006 will always be remembered for what it did to these Mumbai families. Today, just as we are in year 2007, there will surely be a 2008, a 2009... But we mustn’t forget.

All of us have experienced loss. Yet, none of us will be able to truly comprehend the enormity of the personal tragedy of the 186 families. Even after running these stories, none of us at The Indian Express can dare say we understand. What we have learnt, though, is that we all have to begin afresh. And all these stories, Mumbai’s stories, have helped us do that. Thousands of readers from across the country have contributed to the Indian Express’s My Mumbai Trust. Others have responded differently: Snehal Desai of Ahmedabad got his friends together to raise funds for the education of Hemlata’s brother; NRI Kiran Desai oraganised a bike like Hrithik Roshan’s in Koi Mil Gaya for 8-year-old-Bittu, reading about his father, Rajan Naik’s, unfulfilled promise in story No 3; and an anonymous donor passed on ...

... contd.