A little over a decade ago, in India's most populous city, the nightmare that proved too painful to ever be forgotten occurred and the ephialtes lasted four days. The horrific siege brought the entire city to a standstill, plagued with horror and panic as the gunmen stormed through the doors of the most admired places in the capital.

Mumbai’s best-known landmarks- the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, and the Nariman House were some of the targeted spots by the terrorists. This was one of the most heinous and brutal terrorist attacks ever seen in the country and around the world.

The civilians went about their lives, unaware of the catastrophe that lay ahead, while the terrorists sailed into the city in the faint light of twilight. As the bombs and killings began, what had previously been a safe sanctuary for the city's residents had become a horrific spectacle.

One by one, the iconic quarters of the ‘city of dreams’, began to get haunted by the deadly attack. People were fleeing for their life in their own city in the blink of an eye. The ten-member squad of terrorists created havoc and uncertainty throughout the city by blending in with the chaos, making it nearly impossible for the active counterterrorism force to respond in a timely manner. The Mumbai police finally got the mayhem under control three days later.

Grenades, bullet marks, and the sights of bodies became unbearable. The location was described as resembling a battleground by many. According to the official death toll, 18 foreign nationals and about 150 Indian citizens lost their lives.

Not only to Mumbai, but the attack had also become a wake-up call for the entire country to secure and safeguard its cities from ghastly attacks that could come arise from the most unlikely places. The aftershocks reverberated across the world, and people became increasingly desperate for morality to rise above everything else.

After 70 hours of being covered in the stench of explosives and blood, the three-day uninformed war claimed the lives of 166 people and left many more maimed with scars that would take more than a lifetime to mend. The incident left several people injured, yet it did not deter anyone from pursuing peace. Every year, on the same day, people gather for memorials and candlelight vigils.

Now, 13 years after the tragedy, Mumbai is still persistently working on its healing process and is on its way to becoming the city of dreams, once again.