Oldest victims at Taj won't ever go back

Sunder (86) and Kavita (81) Thadani were trapped for 11 hours

Businessman Sunder Thadani (86) and his wife Kavita (81) were the oldest couple to be trapped in the Taj on November 26 last year. And now a year later, the scars still remain.

Kavita, said her family, is yet to come out of the shock and has made up her mind to never visit the hotel again.

"She fears that the terrorists might attack the place again," said Sunder. "The moment my mother hears a loud noise, she gets frightened," said daughter Madhuri.




Gunshots

The couple was inside the Taj Ballroom to attend a relative's wedding reception when terrorists took over the hotel.
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"It was around 9.40 pm, we had just entered the ballroom and the newly-married couple was expected any moment. That's when we heard gunshots," said Kavita, who suffers from arthritis.

The hotel's security guards asked all guests to lie on the floor and crawl to the adjacent room. But due to their bad knees, the Thadanis could not obey their instructions and had to be escorted by the staff and Kavita's governess.

Around 50 people, including some foreigners, were in the adjacent room. They were asked to switch off their mobile phones and the lights were put off.
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"Sandwiches and soft drinks were available in the room, but gradually there was shortage of drinking water and non-availability of urinals was making the situation tougher.

Those who could not control their bladder decided to go behind the curtain and relieve themselves in a glass," said Sunder.

Rescue

Meanwhile, the gunshots continued. "Around 8.30 am the next day, the staff took us from the back door to the exit area, and we were made to sit in a waiting ambulance.
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The police officer instructed us to keep our heads down, before escorting us out," said Kavita. The Thadanis were taken to Azad Maidan police station and later allowed to go home.

Madhuri, their daughter said, "My parents were smiling when I met them."

Midnight Stampede

Around midnight, some people, including Sunder and Kavita Thadani, stepped out of the room looking for a way to escape, as the gunshots had stopped.

"We could see glasses and bloodstains all over the floor. We had climbed down the stairs when the gunshots began, which resulted in a stampede.

Some people fell on Kavita and she could barely get up. Her head banged against the floor, but luckily she was not seriously injured," said Sunder.