A taut psychological thriller

By George Abraham

While reading Shevlin Sebastian's book, 'The Stolen Necklace', I realised how the pen can be mightier than the sword because the pen can produce immortal books like the one he has written which a sword cannot.

Shevlin has immortalised not only the astounding story of Thajudheen but also every other major and minor character that figures in the story with the magic touch of his 'pen.'

The events described in the book happened a few years ago and created a stir in Kerala then, but public memory being short, the story had faded away. But Shevlin has reconstructed them so thoroughly and in such minute detail that they have returned to haunt and rattle the readers.

It is a grim psychological thriller rather than a crime story as the emotions, the feelings, and the fright of an innocent man framed by the police and thrown behind bars for no fault of his are captured in the gripping narrative that shatters the faith of the common man in the system, though there is redemption at the end for the protagonist, which may not be the case for many others like him.

It is with trepidation that one goes through the slow build-up, in the beginning, realising what terrible fate awaits Thajudheen, a happy family man enjoying his holidays in his native place.

The pace picks up rapidly after the menacing appearance of the police in the narrative and the entire pain and anxiety that Thajudheen faces are transmitted to the reader. Some relief is provided only when his past is unfolded through various events which are described as if they happened yesterday.

Thajudheen was lucky to have come out of the ordeal forced on him by the police and what an ordeal it was!

He deserves a big salute for fighting to prove his innocence withstanding police brutality, his incarceration in jail and the several other tests by fire that he underwent in his young days and later. He is indeed a man of steel and should be an inspiration for all who are fighting life's hard battles everywhere in the world.

The book unravels not only the injustice and inhumanity of the police force, including what awaits a man in the lock-up and jail but also the evolution of Thajudheen into a mature man through various troubled phases, including romantic ones, in his growing years, the murderous Kannur politics, the picture of Mumbai red light street and the insecurity, insensitivity and cruelty that one may encounter abroad, especially in the Gulf countries.

Kudos to Thajudheen for the courage and strength he has displayed in overcoming the incredible obstacles he encountered in his life.

There is mathematical and clinical precision by Shevlin in the manner in which every sentence is written from beginning to end which adds to the intensity of the story. Collecting such vast and diverse material from available records and conversations with Thajudheen would have been an epic struggle in itself.

Sitting down and putting them to paper (or computer screen) to create a drama of this magnitude would have been the ultimate test for the author as a journalist who has blossomed into an astute writer and investigator of the deep recesses of the human mind and its pathos.

The book has sufficient material to be made into a perfect cinematic thriller too.

(George Abraham is former Deputy Resident Editor of The New Indian Express, Kerala)