Title: Silence Has Secrets
Author: Nayan Malek
Publisher: Leadstart
Genre: Crime Thriller
First Publication: 2022
Language: English
Book Summary: Silence Has Secrets by Nayan Malek
‘Will you marry a rape survivor?’
When this question was asked in a class at IIT Murshidabad, only to ignite a constructive discussion amongst students, no one imagined it would open a catacomb of long-buried secrets and lead to unimaginably dark crimes.
The female students eagerly looked at their male counterparts for a response. The class topper, Safin, bravely answered that he would. Akash, scared that he’d be made fun of, quietly wrote on the bench, ‘Will girls marry a male rape survivor?’ Ranjan, the class’s back-bencher, seeing this, insulted Akash and even invited girls to rape him. It was all a joke for this quintessential trouble-maker, until next morning, when he was found naked, raped and brutally injured on the IIT-M campus.
The web of suspects sprawl wide—it could have been Smita, a vociferous feminist, Fatima whose feelings for Akash could have motivated her to take revenge on his behalf, or Akash himself, who was mercilessly mocked by Ranjan in front of the whole class. Or maybe, there’s another unsuspected perpetrator, whose silence—and act of violence—has spoken way louder than words.
Book Review: Silence Has Secrets by Nayan Malek
Have you ever picked up a book and realised very immediately that it was going to be unlike anything else you’ve ever read before? That you know you’re going to be kicked in the gut and that you’re likely to form a deeper line between your eyes as a result of the intense expression you make while you turn each page? That pretty much encapsulates everything, to a certain extent, that actually happened while I was reading this book.
Hidden trauma, anguish, struggle, violent abuse, frightening depression, and a general state of chaos. Life is full of all of those things, and the majority of the time, it is difficult for us to maintain a balance with each of them. The problem arises, however, when external factors—such as the evil actions of others—disrupt our equilibrium without providing us with an opportunity to respond. In this book, Ranjan is engaged in a similar perilous struggle, both within his head and out in the real world.
The tussle that breaks out among the students at the college serves as the opening event for Silence Has Secrets by Nayan Malek. One of these students, Ranjan, was discovered the next morning naked and having been sexually assaulted. Additionally, he has suffered memory loss and is unaware of what truly took place. The investigation gets under way, and from there on out, the plot continues to develop in unexpected ways. The extremely cautious and sensitive treatment of the story’s heavy subject matter was impressive. The book was so emotionally draining; the topic was upsetting; the characters were superbly portrayed; and the story was slow but absolutely riveting, making it hard to look away from the pages.
Nayan Malek employs a distinct literary approach in order to tell a tale that is not about the victimizer but about the victims. He takes us inside their heads after these terrible events have happened to show us how they are trying to put the pieces back together and feel whole again. We are immersed in their random thoughts, given insight into the circumstances under which these events take place, and then shown how society responds to them; all of these things strike you square in the face.
Silence Has Secrets is a very sharp-edged coming-of-age novel. Ranjan’s story and his voice appear very honest and raw. The subject that is targeted in this book is rare in fiction and very much needed. The book has many strong points; Nayan Malek manages to make situations simultaneously depressing and intriguing, and the novel asks important questions about morality, responsibility, and faith. It is also a very engaging story that you will fly through, wanting to know how it ends.
Warning: reading this book will leave you feeling emotionally drained and broken to the core in equal measure. Although it is not an easy read since it deals with sexual assault and trauma, you will find that it is possible to immerse yourself in the pages. It is written in a manner that is unusually straightforward, and as a result, it is not a story for those who are easily triggered. If you have the slightest suspicion that this subject matter may upset you, I would advise you to stay well away from this book since Nayan Malek is not hesitant in his depictions of the assault. Nevertheless, I would add that there is no insensitivity in these pages.
