S Soumya, a daring 28-year-old, mother of two, chased down the two men who stole her wedding chain, becoming an instant celebrity in Thevalakkara. At the end of a cinema style chase, complete with a forced collision leading to the capture of the thief, Soumya believes she drew courage from her troubled circumstances.
She is yet to feel fazed by her reaction to the chain snatching. “When my wedding chain was snatched from my neck, I felt like I lost the most important thing I had gained in life. I decided I would not go home without the chain. The drive to get the chain back no matter what, kept me going. I thought of nothing else and kept chasing the thieves on my scooter,” says Soumya.
Having finished her work as a sales girl at a private establishment, Soumya was robbed by two men on a bike while she was going home in the evening. Straight away the chase was on over a twisting, bumpy three and a half kilometers, in effect rivaling any movie sequence. “I am only giving up after I get my chain back. Leave it and go,” Soumya kept yelling at the hoodlums on a neck and neck chase.
She was met with abuse and threats. She asked for help from onlookers on the streets and threw her helmet off to be heard better. Finally, she upended the bike by crashing her scooter into the front end of the bike. Soumya and the two men she was chasing fell on to the road. One of the thieves was captured with the help of people nearby. The other, who had the chain, fell into the police's net soon after.
Soumya is the wife of Babu, a tailor. Sabna and Sona are her two daughters, currently studying in fifth and third standards respectively. Soumya lost her father when she was a child and her mother Shalomi also lives with her. The people in the area are full of praise for Soumya's daring act.
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