But soon after an attack described by many in the media here as "India's 9/11," signs of the megalopolis's resilience had already swung into view.
Five hours after trains stopped running at the Gothic central station, where some of the first shots were fired Wednesday night killing scores of commuters, services resumed even as gunfire resounded in other parts of the city.
Next door to the Taj Mahal hotel, which was freed from the grip of militants on Saturday morning bringing an end to the standoff, the swanky Indigo restaurant reopened for dinner that day.
"The restaurant decided to put its best foot forward and show we weren't cowed down," said Indigo manager Vijay Prakash, a British national from Sheffield who made Mumbai his home about two years ago.
On Sunday, the 137-year-old Leopold cafe, a popular spot with tourists, opened its doors at noon.
"We will prove to terrorists by opening that we have won, you have not won," said Farzad Jehani, who owns the cafe with his br