Is it really over?

The media, the armed forces, the government... they all declared it over. All hostages were freed, the guests evacuated, and the terrorists killed.

I've managed to finally turn the television off after almost three days.
Have had a zillion thoughts going on in my head... and not sure if I can even articulate them as I sit down to write this post.

Like almost everyone, my emotions have gone the full circle - outrage, shock, anger, horror... and now that all of this is over, I only feel cold rage which intensifies with every story that I hear of the horror that unfolded inside the Taj and Oberoi Trident. From 'group shootings' to shooting pregnant women, these men committed heinous and savage acts - one after the other.

The news channels kept reporting the events as 'War on Mumbai' - was it really about Mumbai? Was it not about us as a society with Mumbai just happening to be the delivery location? My best friend who has had a defence upbringing was talking about how it took ALL the armed and other trained forces of the country to fight a handful of men. And how it spells doom for the country when you these forces have to be fighting like this for security.

I don't know what to do to make this rage go away. I don't want us to be resilient anymore. I want us to bounce back but not with the same tolerant (complacent?) attitude. Above all, I don't want to feel helpless anymore.