"I am hungry and thirsty," said Muneer Al Mahaj, one of the hostages who emerged from the Trident hotel on Friday morning.
"Let me eat first. I have not seen a proper meal for the last 36 hours. I have been surviving only on biscuits and that too got over. Last night, I ran out of water too," he said
An Iraqi citizen, he was in Mumbai on a business trip with a friend. He was staying on the fourth floor of the hotel when the terrorists stormed the place.
Al Mahaj was one of the 93 hostages released on Friday morning.
The hotel hired special luxury buses and took the released guests to another hotel.
"I cannot believe what I have seen in the last 36 hours. I have seen dead bodies, blood everywhere and only heard gunshots," he added. He, however, did not see any terrorists.
"I thought it would get over by the next morning, but I could not believe that these terrorists took all of us hostage for more than 36 hours," he said.
Asked what was his worst fear during those 36 hours, he said, "The thought that I would not be able to live and see the next day. This thought kept cropping up every moment. We all were very close to death and lucky to survive."
Did he think of escape?
"I thought about it, but could not do as there was firing all the time. I could not take a risk."
He was very grateful for the Indian security forces's intervention. "They did a very commendable job. They made us feel safe."
So will he visit Mumbai again? "Why not? I love Mumbai and Indians. I find them very friendly."
