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3 brothers shot at in CST on 26/11 left for Bihar, where they hope to recover from the trauma of seeing their parents killed before their eyes

Brothers grim: Afroze, Mehboob and Sagheer Ansari wait for their train at CST last night. They hope to return to the city after a period of rest and recuperation in Bihar. Pic/Sameer Markande

The three Ansari brothers wait for their train to Bihar to draw up at CST. This is the same platform where terrorists Mohd Ajmal Amir Qasab and Abu Ismail killed their parents on November 26. Two of the brothers were injured and after a brief spell at various hospitals, all three are now on their way back to Bihar, knowing they will be back. Mumbai orphaned them, but this is still the city where they will realise their dreams.

At Nair Hospital, Mehboob Ansari's bed was just 15 metres away from Qasab. At first, Mehboob (15), thought Qasab was just another patient till he noticed the four commandos guarding him 24X7. "The man screamed all night. He asked for his mother and said he did not understand what he had done. He begged the police to let him die and thanked them for taking care of him even after he had killed so many people," said Mehboob, who sustained a bullet injury on his left thigh.

"He said he was sorry, but how can someone think that sorry is enough after killing so many people," said a weepy Mehboob. "I wasn't angry at him, because I wasn't told that my parents were dead until four days later. We didn't get to see too much of him as white curtains were drawn around him. The next day he was gone," said Mehboob.

The Std VIII student will go back to school in Nawada in Bihar.

His brother Afroze (13), was the centre of attention at JJ Hospital where he was being treated. Afroze hung on to his new computer gifted by Shaina NC. "My friends at home don't even have a phone! Now, I will be the only one with a computer. I'm going to play lots of games on it," smiled Afroze. Afroze is now desperate to see his sister and grandmother the closest persons to a maternal figure.

Sagheer (30), the eldest of the three, escaped death or injury as he was in the loo at CST during the Mumbai Terror attack. "I saw my mother collapse, but before I could get to her, I was pulled back and thrown out of the station. One hour later, I met Mehboob across the road and realised he had been shot. I took him to Nair and after Mehboob was admitted he told me that Afroze had been shot too. I was very worried, but then we found him," said Sagheer.

They are yet to receive the compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for their dead parents. "I was told that the cheques would reach my village in Bihars so I didn't bother. Right now, I just want my brothers home safe," he said.