What drives a terrorist to indulge in mindless massacre of innocent people without batting an eyelid? This question still haunts the mind of 16-year-old Arshiya Mittal, a survivor of 26/11 terror attacks.

“A person has to believe there is no goodness left in him or in the world for him to go on a killing spree. I believe
every person is born good and so the terrorist in a person has to be killed rather than killing the person,” Arshiya, who was at the Hotel Taj on the fateful night, said.

The 26/11 attacks that left behind a trail of death and destruction has changed Arshiya’s perception about the metropolis. “Before 26/11, Mumbai was just one of my favourite cities in the world, but after the attack it became my dear home.”

Arshiya, along with her mother and cousin, was dining at the Wasabi restaurant in Taj on the night of November 26 when a group of backpack-toting terrorists struck at the iconic building in South Mumbai.

“Every Mumbaikar changed from being just another inhabitant to being a part of a joint family during and after the attack,” she said.

Arshiya and her family was rescued from the hotel within six hours of the attack, but she feels sad about those who perished in the mayhem unleashed by the terrorists.