Mumbai: "Thats where the terrorists are holed up," a man told his 10-year-old son, pointing to the Taj Mahal Hotel as the childs mother and elder sister looked on. The family, tired of watching the terror action on TV, had decided to catch it live at ground zero.

"We live in Tardeo and decided to come here," the father said. "The trains were running empty and there was no traffic on the roads."

The rage and fear in the city after the terror attack seemed to have given way to a sense of curiosity among people about what really happens when terrorists strike. Hundreds of them, some from as far as Borivli, started coming to South Mumbai late on Thursday to see it for themselves.

They clicked pictures from their mobile phones and sent them to relatives in the city and other parts of the country, captioned: "We were on the spot and took the pictures ourselves."

"We have come here to see the action," said Altaf Hussain, 27, who was accompanied by his young wife. "We heard on television that the army has taken care of the security around the [Taj Mahal] hotel, so we are not worried." Dressed smartly as if attending a party, the couple looked anything but terrified. Television had done the trick.

Adding the glamorous touch were celebrities like film director Mahesh Bhatt, adman Prahlad Kakkar and actor Javed Jaffery.

It wasn't clear if they had come on their own or TV reporters had invited them for on-the-spot interviews.

"Come, lets go to the Oberoi and see whats happening there," a man told this reporter after he had had enough of watching celebrity journalists shooting their prime-time news programmes. "Maybe well hear some real gunfire and get some nice video footage!"

The irony wasn't missed on the police and NSG commandoes stationed near the two hotels. "After an incident, no matter how gory its details are, is repeatedly shown on television, it loses its sting and only entertainment value is left," a senior police officer stationed near the Oberoi Trident opined.
Source : DNA