The Fear of Impending Death in Neil D’ Silva’s Maya’s New Husband

Abstract

Death, especially fear of it, is a recurring theme in psychological thriller narratives. Fear and death seem constantly associated in a person’s mind because no sane person wants to die. Psychopaths and serial killers are known to have twisted minds that give rise to the fear of impending death in people. Death has always been a constant factor in these narratives, and those deaths most of the time have resulted from fear. The present narrative talks about a serial killer who kills young women in the name of a ritual practice that is usually performed by aghoras. Maya, his wife goes through several mind-boggling traumas after knowing his reality. The present paper discusses how Maya goes through the fear of impending death while living under the same roof with Bhaskar, the serial killer. Moreover, it studies the psyche of these psychopath serial killers that make them do these heinous crimes.