A regular visit at the Taj hotel turned into an ordeal for Punya, who was staying there when the tragedy struck. When NDTV.com caught up with him, he narrated his ordeal and the tension he went through after hearing reports that terrorists have entered the hotel and are keeping people at ransom.

"I had come from the US last night and was sleeping in my room at the ninth floor when at 10.30 pm, I suddenly heard noises in the lobby. People were running in panic. When I enquired, one of the hotel occupants told me that some terrorists have entered the place and are threatening the people," he said.

At around 11 pm, a Taj staffer called up and asked me to lock up the room and windows, as there has been a terrorist strike, Punya added.

After that moment, it was a tense night for him as news channels started flashing about the incident. "I started receiving calls and SMSes from friends and family members who were worried about my safety. They informed me about the gravity of the situation. It was scary," Punya added.

It was five in the morning when Punya came to know about the whole incident. And after spending nearly 15 hours under siege, he finally came out of the Taj Mahal hotel at 1.30 pm on Thursday.

"When I was coming out, I saw a lot of blood stains on the floor. I enquired about it and came to know that a couple of hotel staff were killed," said Punya.

Though Punya did not see any of the terrorists and got to know about them only through phone calls, the experience is going to haunt him for quite a long time.