With You, Without You

Sarathsiri is a forty-five-year-old loner who runs a pawn shop on the ground floor of a two-story building and lives upstairs. He rarely shows emotion and spends his spare time watching wrestling on television. His remote town, surrounded by tea plantations, underscores his solitary existence.

Selvi, a twenty-four-year-old Tamil girl, comes to the pawn shop to pawn items, many of which are not worth much. Sarathsiri takes an unusual interest in her and, with the help of his maid Lakshmi, begins to uncover her background. This encounter sets the stage for an unlikely connection between them.

Selvi's origins are revealed: she is from Kilinochchi, a Tamil minority area, moved to the upcountry to save her life. She lives with two aunts, one a widow with two children and the other bitter and unmarried. Lakshmi and Sarathsiri piece together this painful background, shaping the tension that follows.

An older widowed businessman proposes to Selvi, and Sarathsiri also asks for her hand. Selvi elopes with Sarathsiri, and the couple moves into his home. He begins teaching her the pawning business and urges her to save money to buy a plot of tea land.

Selvi tries to adjust to married life, but Sarathsiri keeps his emotions in check and shows little warmth. His focus remains on money, the pawn business, and his future plans rather than affection. Selvi's attempts at closeness go unanswered, creating growing distance.

The couple goes to a South Indian Tamil movie; Selvi is thrilled as it's her favorite actor's film and it's her first big-screen experience. Yet Sarathsiri dislikes the movie and calls the whole trip a waste of money. The outing highlights the emotional gulf between them.

Gamini, a friend of Sarathsiri, arrives unannounced and they go out for drinks. They return late; in the morning Gamini apologizes to Selvi for disturbing them. Selvi overhears their conversation and learns Sarathsiri is an ex Sri Lankan Army soldier.

That night Selvi confronts Sarathsiri about his hidden past, asking why he kept his army service a secret. He questions what difference knowledge of his past would have made. She recounts her own trauma: her brothers were killed by the Sri Lankan army and her family faced danger because of her Tamil identity.

While organizing the closet, Selvi discovers a revolver hidden in a drawer. That night she aims it at his forehead, but flinches when his head moves, and she withdraws. The revolver's presence casts a shadow over their fragile trust.

The next day the revolver is missing, and Selvi suspects Sarathsiri has been spying on her. Her condition deteriorates into depression and seizures as fear and doubt overtake her. Throughout this, Sarathsiri watches her suffering in silence.

In response to Selvi's torment, Sarathsiri confesses that he bore false witness about a Tamil girl being raped and killed by his fellow soldiers, including Gamini. He explains he left the army because of guilt, and reveals his reasons to reconcile with Selvi. This confession reframes his past in her eyes and adds to the emotional strain between them.

He sells his pawn shop and buys items to make Selvi happy, even returning her pawned things and promising a trip to India. He hopes to rekindle affection and create new memories, but Selvi remains emotionally distant and guarded. Her reaction underscores the fragility of their bond.

One morning Selvi tells Sarathsiri that if she is forgiven, she would become the wife he desires. He is overjoyed, kisses her, and rushes out to buy air tickets to India. Selvi prays with a rosary, then makes a life-altering decision that will change both their worlds forever.