Constable Arun Chitte, who lost his life on 26/11, left behind three grown-up daughters. The eldest is married, the second completes her master's, and the third is in her second year.
Driver for Vijay Salaskar
Chitte worked as a driver for Senior Inspector Vijay Salaskar for a decade. In the 26/11 attack, he lost his life minutes after his boss died. At that time, his daughters were 8, 7 and 4 years-old.
Now aged 24, 23, and 20, the eldest, Komal, married after graduating; the second, Snehal, earned her master's degree in commerce, and the youngest, Khushi, is in her second year of a bachelor's degree. Chitte's wife, Manisha, was 27 when she lost her husband.
They married in 1997. She recalls, On 26/11, he called me, informing about the terrorist attack. He said he might not come home and he never returned home. I saw the news on the TV and tried to contact him on his mobile but he was unreachable. Around midnight, he called me and said he was not coming home and take care of our daughters. This was my last communication with my husband. After that, a bullet hit him, I saw in the video that he was putting his mobile in his pocket after talking to me.
Manisha's life after Chitte's death
After Chitte's death, Manisha faced initial challenges, but with support from her father and brother, she navigated through.She expressed, Now, my daughters have grown up. Despite facing obstacles, I pray for their wellbeing.Reflecting on their past, she said, "He was very happy when our last daughter was born, that's why he kept her name," Khushi.
I hope no one goes through what I did. Almost 16 years have passed, and now I pray for my daughters.Chitte's eldest daughter, Komal, has a birthday on November 28. Her father gave Rs1,000 for the celebration, but the family didn't celebrate it that year. The Chitte family resides in Sion, with their native place being Veergaon in Nashik
