Survived the attack, now back to book same rooms
NRI investment advisor Praful Patel feels number 1017 saved him

Mumbai, Dec. 22, 2008
Indian express
Shalini Nair

NRI investment advisor Praful Patel feels number 1017 saved him. He was at Taj heritage wing when the terrorists struck. And on Sunday, when the hotel reopened, Patel was again present, checking into his lucky room 1017, this time armed with 100 Ganesha idols.

“I frequently stay at Taj and always make it a point to stay in room number 1017 as the sum of its digits add up to nine, which I consider lucky as it is the birth date of my Guru Maharaj. It was his blessings that saved me,” said Patel, who performed a Puja in his room, with several staffers attending.

“That night, I locked my room, closed the curtains and placed a chair under the door knob to keep it from opening. The power went off and my cellphone battery died, leaving me with no communication with the outer world. The gunshots and grenades added to the fear,” said Patel, who survived that night on khakhra.

The next morning he took a bath and waited for further news. At 3 pm, he looked through the peephole to see armed men in black uniform and masks in the corridor. “Fear paralysed me, I was sure my end had come. They banged on the door and shouted that if I didn’t open, they will shoot me. I went out with my hands raised and burst out crying but there were two European women who reassured me they were NSG commandos,” said Patel

Like Patel, another NRI businessman, Deepak Datta, who survived the hostage crisis decided to book a room at the Taj on Sunday. He said: “There were two large explosions below my room. I was rescued some 24 hours later. Bodies of the dead lay here and there. But still, I had made up my mind about coming back the day Taj reopens. In fact I will be going back to the same room where I was staying and where my luggage is still kept intact,” said Datta, waving the Hanuman Chalisa which he says gave him the courage to pull through the crisis.

Some, however, chose not to return. At least not now.

Dr Tilu Mangeshikar, who went through a night of ordeal trying to save dying Taj staff Rajan Kamble, was among those who did not attend the reopening ceremony although her friend had booked a place for her family at the Zodiac Grill. “He died after six days. I need to come to terms with it. On hindsight, I feel had it been my daughter in his place I would I braved everything to save her. I have several issues such as those three policemen leading us who disappeared, the failure to get me some antibiotics,” said Mangeshikar who, on a calmer note, adds no one was prepared for what had happened and there was no point in blaming anyone.