THAT DAY

11 September 2001

Just another day in New York.

Little did they know what future had in store for them. Everyone went about their chores and went to their workplaces. The usual monotony was about to be broken for the first time. Just as the first New Yorkers rushed to their offices, terror had begun to hatch plans of destruction. Four planes had been hijacked and were heading with terror on purpose.

Suddenly, the people inside World Trade Center, the city’s iconic Twin Towers heard the roaring of a plane’s engines. What happened that day is still etched on every mind’s New Yorker as their worst nightmare. The last anyone ever remembers is seeing the plane hurtling towards them. The two flights ripped through the steel framework of the entire structure, at once causing it to crumple like bread does when you hit it.

American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 razed through the twin towers causing them to collapse like a pack of cards. A dozen surrounding buildings also suffered damages from the resulting debris. A third plane American Airlines Flight 77 went into the Pentagon, US Defence Headquarters causing some partial damage. The fourth plane United Airlines Flight targeted at Washington crashed into Pennsylvania.

3000 people lost their dear lives and many others received injuries. All the 19 hijackers were killed in the attack. The attacks led to a reported loss of $10 billion in intellectual property and infrastructure. US machinery suffered a major breakdown in the attacks.

Every American remembers the shrieks of terror that rented the skies on that day.

Shards of glass and reams of sheets were flown into the air as the flight tore into the heart of the towers. In a few minutes, the twin towers were reduced to the ground as if they were jelly. Those who did not attend office thank their Gods everyday for being lucky to have not gone.

The handful of survivors of the attacks are heroes in the minds of all. The US blamed terrorist outfit Al-Qaeda. Osama took responsibility for the terror blitz in 2004.

George W. Bush then President was enraged at the loss on that day of manpower and the destruction of the world’s biggest of economic hubs. The Bush Government declared war with Al-Qaeda. It redeveloped the Pentagon and kick started the most elaborate and dangerous manhunt ever – the hunt for the man who started it all.

Osama, you wont live to see another day!!!

It offered a prize of millions of dollars to anyone with the slightest hint of the terror mastermind’s whereabouts.It initiated elaborate checks at US Airports. It picked up suspects from around the world often subjecting them with inhuman torture and tried to take out facts from them.It swooped on unassuming people’s accounts and scanned their mailboxes.

The elaborate machinery kept in place by the NSA was recently brought to the world’s notice courtesy whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Finally Obama came. In first few weeks of assuming office, he ordered closure of US torture prison at Gaunatamo, citing it had ended, and nobody needs to fear any more. After a series of various snooping, careful surveillance, the US had breath of respite after Navy Seals gunned down Osama in his Abottabad compound, ironically a stone’s throw from Pakistan Army Chief’s house.

The US finally had its man at last. It even used computer algorithms which verified they had shot Osama.

The biggest manhunt ever had ended. The biggest terror blitz ever was avenged. The mastermind was dead. Osama's body lays at the bottom of the ocean as proof.

One World Trade Center was opened on the site of the World Trade Center in 2014.