KOCHI: ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’. This quote connot be more appropriate in the case of Kottakkal native Vivek Vijayan. Despite being affected by spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic condition that relegated him to a wheel-chair, it didn’t stop Vivek from living life to the fullest and chasing his dreams. A scholar in Sanskrit and proficient in astrology, Vivek has recently released his first book ‘I Lie In Wait’, an English crime thriller that has managed to engross many readers.
The novel deals with the murder of a prominent TV anchor named Reshma Tharakan. Soon, a six-member investigation team which consists of psychologist Maya Chandrasekhar starts investigating the case. Though the team initially assumes that the murder is a part of serial killing, Maya finds that the murder was result of vengeance. The rest of the novel narrates how the investigators nab the culprit.
Vivek’s love for crime thrillers and the Sherlock Holmes series resulted in his debut book being crime fiction. “I’m very comfortable with the genre. Also, it was a deliberate attempt to break some preconceived notions about me. Many are surprised to find I love crime thrillers. They have the notion that a person who is into vedas and astrology will only write spiritual books. That isn’t ture,” says Vivek.
Vivek is the grandson of Dr P K Warrier, chief physician and managing trustee of Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal. ‘I Lie In Wait’ was initially written as a movie script four years ago for director Jayaraj. “He urged me to write a crime thriller. It took me around 1.5 years to complete it after including his suggestions. However, the movie didn’t materialise. I forwarded the script to other directors and producers. However, they weren’t keen on doing a female-oriented movie,” adds the 34-year-old author.
Later, it was Jayaraj who asked Vivek to turn the script into a book. “He wanted me to write in English to get a wider audience,” says Vivek. He adds that getting the book published was more challenging than writing. Finally, Notion Press came forward to publish the book which was entirely typed on a mobile phone. “The response so far has been good. Around 100 copies have been sold in countries like the US, UK, and Canada. Though the sale is going up in Kerala, the book hasn’t reached customers in other states due to the Covid-19 lockdown.”
Vivek, who is also a movie buff, loves to read fiction and biographies. He’s has been trying to learn Russian, Korean and Spanish languages. He is planning to make ‘I Lie In Wait’ into a movie or web series. “I’m planning to write a prequel to the novel with Maya as the lead character. Also, I wish to translate my grandfather’s book ‘Smrithiparvam’ into English as it is his birth centenary next year. It will be a three-part collector’s edition.”