We were huddled around the table for a post-dinner discussion when our Muscat brought up friend Tina (fondly called muscat-biscuit) received an sms. Her American friend claimed that an airplane had hit the World Trade Center in New York!!
It sounded outrageously unbelievable to us students living in a remote village in Allahabad, India. I suggested that she sms back that Taj Mahal had melted away due to acid rains.
Her friend was getting angry by now because we were not taking him seriously. We turned on the old TV in the dining hall to confirm and yes, news channels were reporting that planes had indeed hit the WTC.
This single incident had shocked the world and made life come to a grinding halt. More terror attacks were to follow like the London bombings, Mumbai hotel attacks etc..
Terror attacks are no more a surprise since it's so frequent despite increased safety measures. It is an unsettling feeling knowing that terror can strike anywhere.
At times, it seems as though we are fighting a hidden enemy...or as some may put it - an enemy within. Every anniversary of 9/11 is a chilling reminder of this axe looming overhead waiting to squash its prey.
No comments:
Post a Comment