In 26/11 horror, some brilliant humanity also stood out

The walk was Alan's suggestion and they set off, chatting as they walked, enjoying the sites and sounds of the Mumbai evening. Naomi was wearing new sandals that kept bothering her toes, she tried to fix them and eventually took them off. So busy were they talking that the trio got lost and had to re-orient themselves to get to the hotel.

By the time they made it back, they were thirsty and Naomi was hungry. The teenager loved sushi, and Helen, a yoga instructor from Toronto, Canada, asked her if she would like some. 'Yes,' said the sprightly kid and they ordered Ginger Lime drinks at the Tiffin restaurant at the Trident.

The ladies were joined by other group members Linda Ragsdale, Rudrani Devi and actor Michael Rudder. The group was on a trip to India as part of the Synchrocity Foundation, a meditation and holistic organisation from Virginia, USA.

Naomi ordered asparagus sushi and Helen a bowl of soup. While they ate all the rolls waiting for their food, conversation kept flowing along the table. As Naomi enjoyed her sushi, her father Alan, had some errands to run for Master Charles, the Synchrocity guru.

Alan joined them later and had a loving exchange with his daughter. He told Helen that he didn't know how he would survive without Naomi after she went away to school next year. He just ordered ice cream, while Helen had celery soup with one ravioli in the bottom of the bowl.

This was Naomi and Alan's last supper. A few minutes later, the shooting started and Alan called out to the others to get under the table. He and Naomi reached out to each other under the table. Huddled under that table, holding each other's hands, they died from a flurry of bullets fired by the terrorists on November 26, 2008.

Naomi was the youngest person to die at the Oberoi that night.

"The grief for the people who died under the table with me, not only Naomi and Alan, but also an Indian couple who had dived under our table for shelter, would hit me at unexpected moments and I would find myself in tears," says Helen Connolly who had lain in a child's pose under the table, silently chanting Om Shanti.

A very good friend of Naomi and Alan, she had shared a room with the teenager who reminded her of her own children and Helen reminded Naomi of her mother Kia back home in America.

A year later, Helen gave Archana Masih the above detailed, near verbatim account of what they did that evening before that night of horror in Mumbai, in a long e-mail from Toronto.

I don't know exactly how long we were trapped. Time stopped. But I don't think it was very long possibly half an hour at most?? I do know that thanks to the wonderful help of the hotel staff we managed to first scurry or crawl into the kitchen facilities during a ceasefire.

Once there, the shooting recommenced and seemed to move closer to the kitchen where we were repeating the Om Shanti mantra, while assuming the probability that certain death was just a moment away, when the terrorists would blast their way through the kitchen door. But that never happened.

The staff found an escape route through an emergency exit and brought us (Linda, Rudrani and myself) to the safety of awaiting taxis.

As I mentioned, we came out through the Tiffin restaurant kitchen. A line of taxis waited outside. The Oberoi staff carried Linda and Rudrani into one taxi. I, being the least injured, followed in another taxi with two of the hotel staff. We were taken to the Bombay Hospital and taken to different rooms for treatment.

The Oberoi staff stayed in the corridor outside and popped in to check on me regularly. They were absolutely wonderful in their care. I found out through the course of the evening that all of Mumbai was under siege, and not just our hotel.

When I was moved to another room, Parumel from the Oberoi pushed me there in a wheelchair. During the night several more hotel staff came by. I remember Bijesh, being a very compassionate presence.

Hours later, I noticed that my hair was as hard as cardboard. I went to the bathroom to rinse it and found it so surreal to be washing the blood of my deceased friends from my hair. That still strikes me as an experience that is beyond the capability of words to express.

***

On getting back to the hotel, they rested and changed before Alan, Naomi and Helen got into a taxi to attend Master Charles's evening programme. Afterwards they walked back to the Trident.

The next morning about a dozen or more Oberoi staff came to the hospital to see about reuniting me with family contact through their cellphones.

While we were trying to figure out international calling codes the Sachdeva family came in. Santosh, Gautam, Shibani and Nikki were the event planners for our pilgrimage. They called my husband and then, along with their friend, Xavier, took me to their home near the Marine Plaza Hotel.

I had lost one of my sandals in the attack so they bought me a new pair on the way there from a stall on the street. They also gave me a change of clothes so that my own could be washed.

I stayed with them until the rest of our group was released from the Oberoi. Shibani kept lines of communication open with Master Charles and other members of the group and Synchronicity.

My brother, Vincent Leahy, who coincidently was on his first trip to Mumbai, to visit with his wife's family in the outskirts of the city, came by with his wife and provided me with some clothing and money and also contacted the Canadian consulate on my behalf.

He also kept in contact with my family in Toronto, which was a huge relief to me when everything was so chaotic, while Master Charles and the rest of the group were still under siege.

Once the group were released later (I can't remember how many hours, but I think I slept at the Sachdevas's home for 2 nights) we were all moved to the Four Seasons Hotel. The Canadian consulate worked tirelessly to reunite us with our things, lost in the restaurant and hotel rooms. The American consulate sent over a psychiatrist to explain about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Those who weren't in hospital reunited with Master Charles in his hotel room and the healing began. Swami Vishveshwaranda came to visit with us from his ashram in Mumbai. Santosh Sachdeva and relatives also came to see us. The hotel staff took great care of us, as did the Canadian consulate staff, as I already mentioned.

In the depths of such horror, so many examples of brilliant humanity stood out.

How were those remaining days in the city?

I spent my last few days in communication with the consulate going through the process of retrieving my belongings, including my purse, which was left behind in the restaurant and was subsequently taken to the morgue with Naomi's remains. The hotel was full of media people. Master Charles's presence was a calming influence as were my calls home to my husband and children.

On the last day I took advantage of the hotel's hair salon and spa, to rest and recharge as everyone else had already returned home to the US, Australia, New Zealand or Canada.

I will never forget the Muslim call to prayer from the community just outside the hotel grounds. It was so hauntingly beautiful and comforting.