Mumbai:
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Family Matters: Samita and Aashish Chowdhry. pic/ ANIL BHARTIYA | A grieving Aashish Chowdhry promises that wife Samita and he will look after, be there for and raise his sister's children
Among the hostages at The Trident were Aashish Chowdhry's sister Monica and her husband Ajit Chhabria.
The actor had camped outside the hotel ever since the attack hoping to see his kin walk out but they fell victims to the terrorists' bullets.
This is what a heartbroken Aashish has to say...
I am not yet in the frame of mind to talk or deal or replay the destruction of my family and their souls, but I would still like to pen down my gratitude to all those who stood by, called, SMSed and comforted me at a time when my world collapsed.
If there is anything that can hold me together now are the two small innocent lives, who in a matter of seconds lost the two people who were their world.
Who waited not understanding why their parents haven't returned from dinner yet... their innocent hearts looking into our eyes when we finally broke the news to them.
They were searching for some meaning in this meaningless act.
And those are the two lives who are holding me and my family together urging us to be strong for them.
Kanishq (12) and Ananaya (7), Pokey and Ducky as I lovingly call them, are our little angels who've lost more than what can ever be even imagined.
I know, my sister and my jiju, wherever they are, will still be worried about Pokey and Ducky.
Monica is my only sister, who I loved more than myself and Ajit, the jiju who came in as the perfect match for my Mona.
Two glorious human beings whose lives revolved around their children.
Ground-ing their children on morals, on the right behaviour on being good and kind human beings. And an entire battalion of people cannot match up to what they were as parents. Or take their place ever.
But we are going to try... try hard and rebuild their lives . We are going to bring their smiles and the twinkle in their eyes back. Bring back the joy of a really happy beautiful family that the animals... the cowards destroyed.
I stood there helpless and angry while strangers came and snatched away pieces of our hearts. I could do nothing... nothing but just ask one question. Why? Why them?
The answer was a cruel silence that numbed me.
There is no solace. There is no way on earth anybody can tell any of us to console ourselves, this hurt will stay forever. The gaping wound will never heal and the anger will only stay hidden.
I'm angry. Really angry. And I feel for all of us. I'm sorry for all of us who suffered. For all who live with this feeling of instability, insecurity and hatred. But we've gotta get a hold of ourselves.
We've got to be strong and move ahead with a conviction. We're the ones who'll eventually make the desired difference.
In this horrifying game of fate, one thing we want to tell Monica and jiju is that today their children not only have four extremely loving grandparents, who have always doted over their grandchildren but also a huge family of aunts, uncles and cousins that have so much love to give.
The one thing that I really want them to know is that they will always have a second set of parents in Samita and me.
We will be there in everyway we can, along with everyone else in our family, to look after them, try and raise them the way Monica and Ajit have done all these years and hopefully we will be guided by them from above, to be their second mum and dad.
Please don't take my silence and withdrawal of not talking as any form of disrespect. I have still not come to terms with what is real and what is not. Life is drawing a blank and it will be sometime before I can fill the void.
I am pouring my heart out in this letter hoping you understand.
Thank you for being there. I really mean it.
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