Based on a true story, The Chabimaster is a high-octane espionage thriller that unfolds against the backdrop of General Zia-ul-Haq’s 1977 coup in Pakistan.

Through its layered characters, the novel traces the dark contours of nuclear arms/blueprint procurement and proliferation, using the tense India-Pakistan relationship as its explosive fault line.

The protagonist is Samy, a R.A.W. specialist codenamed ‘Chabimaster’ for his unparalleled mastery of lock-cracking. His unique skill is the entire pivot of the mission, requiring him to stealthily journey across a vast, complex theatre: from India and Pakistan to the global hubs of London and Istanbul. Samy’s targets are the world’s most impenetrable safes, concealing not just papers and diamonds, but “unrevealed objects” all of which possess the potential to trigger a nuclear conflict.

The Making of a Spy: From Orphan to Agent

Working his way through intense characters, Sikka takes the reader behind the experiences that define Samy’s identity, whose original name is Siva. The novel opens with brutal intensity: young Siva witnesses the murder of his parents, forcing him onto the streets and into a gang of thieves where he hones his extraordinary skills in lock picking. This grim origin story, a narrative of trauma, survival, and accidental genius, elevates him beyond the typical slick spy.

His path to R.A.W. is equally unconventional: discovered by intelligence officer Ravi while seeking sanctuary in a temple, the orphaned thief is painstakingly trained and reborn as ‘Samy, the Chabimaster.’

His partner on the mission is Divya/Meera, a fellow R.A.W. operative hardened by her own violent past. Divya undergoes plastic surgery to guarantee her anonymity, emerging as the ‘cold-blooded, emotionless field officer’ Meera, a calculated, necessary foil to Samy’s inexperienced core.

Tradecraft and Trope: Sikka’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Where The Chabimaster truly shines is in its technical rigour. Sikka, leveraging his career as an ex-Naval officer, offers an authoritative, fast-paced narrative rich with expert insights. The author’s USP lies in his characterisation, his detailed knowledge of intelligence operations, and the meticulous skill training he describes. For readers fascinated by criminology, covert operational procedure and geopolitics, the book is a compelling introduction.

The plot’s complexity, which spans the military coup, the theft of nuclear blueprints by rogue Pakistani scientist Abdul Khan, and a deeply entrenched global network of greed and power, is slowly revealed, link by link, transporting the reader into the dark side of geopolitics.

However, the novel’s premise is familiar territory for most readers. The prominence of the India-Pakistan geopolitical theme, though foundational to the plot’s structure, may feel well-trodden to readers familiar with recent cinematic and streaming portrayals (for example, Saare Jahan se Acchha on Netflix).

Furthermore, the complex geopolitical machinery forces the story to veer away from the fascinating focus on the ‘Chabimaster’ himself, leaning instead toward a broader, more generic “Bollywood masala movie” style.

Conclusion

Overall, The Chabimaster is a riveting read. The detailed research and crisp language balance the adrenaline of espionage and the brutal reality of covert warfare. For all those, who seek a glimpse into the shadowy sides of South Asian intelligence agencies, this book would prove to be good start.

Harinder S. Sikka is currently the group director, strategic business, Piramal Group. After graduating from Delhi University, he joined the Indian Navy. He was commissioned in January 1981 and took premature retirement in 1993 as a Lieutenant Commander. He produced a film, Nanak Shah Fakir, which won acclaim at the Cannes, Toronto and Los Angeles international film festivals. The film won three national awards including the Nargis Dutt Award for best feature film on national integration. Calling Sehmat is his second book and has been made into a film, Raazi, by Meghna Gulzar. Sikka lives in Delhi with his family.

Book Details
• Imprint: Penguin Metro Reads (Penguin Random House India)
• Publication year: 2025
• Pages: 288
• Price: INR 350

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