Chidambaram

Muniyandi, a cattle worker on the vast government estate in the Western Ghats, tells Shankaran that he is getting married and needs funds. Shankaran agrees to help him with money, hoping to ease his burden. Jacob, the supervisor under Shankaran, is not enthusiastic and warns that Shankaran should return to the farm once the wedding is over.

Shankaran invites Muniyandi to drink with him at the estate. Jacob arrives and refuses to join, resenting the company of a 'menial.' The moment underscores the rigid social hierarchy on the farm. The tension foreshadows the strain to come between the men.

Muniyandi falls at Shankaran's feet and sings a Shiva hymn in repentance. The gesture highlights a complex bond of loyalty and subservience within the estate hierarchy. It foreshadows the emotional stakes surrounding Muniyandi and Shankaran.

Shankaran travels to Muniyandi's village to attend the wedding and volunteers to take photographs. The couple then returns to the estate, first by bullock cart and later by jeep, marking their entry into married life on the estate. The journey underscores the transition from village to estate life.

Shivakami is captivated by the farm's lush landscape and discovers a flower garden. She eagerly shares her discoveries with Muniyandi, who becomes wary and urges that she not wander the farm alone. The scene reveals tension between curiosity and possession in their relationship.

Shivakami asks Shankaran to write the address on a letter home in English, and he photographs her as she relaxes her usual reservations. Her growing ease around the estate men shifts the social dynamics she initially maintained. The moment marks a turning point in her adaptation to life there.

Nedumudi Venu and Innocent visit the farm for an event, and Shankaran throws a picnic that Jacob joins. During the gathering, Jacob makes a crude remark about Shivakami's character, which enrages Shankaran and prompts an attempted punch. The incident deepens the undercurrents of jealousy and power.

Against Muniyandi's wishes, Jacob assigns Shivakami to the hay-making unit and moves Muniyandi to the night shift. The forced role reversal heightens tension and fuels mistrust among the workers. The new arrangement sets the stage for a tragic night.

That night, Muniyandi hears a motorbike approaching the hay-making unit and suspects an affair with Shivakami. He discovers Shankaran instead and, overwhelmed by deceit, slashes Shivakami's face and hangs himself. The double betrayal shatters the stability of the estate.

Shankaran escapes the estate and hides with two colleagues who do not understand what happened. He eventually moves to the city, where he becomes an alcoholic and finds work in a printing press. His flight marks the fragmentation of his former authority and life.

The alcohol takes a toll on Shankaran's liver, and a doctor advises him to seek religious discipline to cure the addiction. He attempts to read Hindu scriptures, but those efforts fail, and the doctor suggests pilgrimages as an alternative path. The saga pivots from medicine to spirituality as a remedy.

On a visit to the Thillai Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, Shankaran encounters Shivakami again, now living as an alms-seeker with her face slashed. The reunion starkly reveals the enduring consequences of the earlier events. The story closes on the somber note of their divergent paths.