01x09 - The Secret Cavern

[bunniefuu]

Will the false images shown by the heart

Break in front of the eyes?

Will time solve this clueless puzzle?

As the depth of eerie silence

Echoes all over

Will this wild run after the shadows

In the dark, stop?

Will the unresolved legends

Unearth the truth

And the apparitions

Of the mystery die away?

-Hello.

-Hello.

Have you reached?

Yeah. I reached just now.

Where are you?

Come to G block first floor.

Come.

-What is this?

-I'll tell you.

Welcome, madam.

This is the living room.

There's a beautiful balcony here.

Even though it's first floor,

it's very airy,

with a lot of natural light.

The kitchen is right over here.

Come, let's see.

Who is this for?

This is our house.

Our house?

Come and see.

I thought you called me for a lunch

get-together with your friends.

So?

We can still go out

and have lunch together.

It's not about that.

Are you really sure about this?

Yes, of course!

But I thought you'd be happy about this.

Will your parents never change their mind?

Has your father broken

his silence with you?

We already knew that

our parents would not accept our union.

When my grandma passed away,

everyone started talking

about your horoscope.

Just messed with my head.

I'm sorry, I

I should have stood up for you.

It's not about them anymore.

This is our life.

Good or bad

I want to spend

my life with you.

What?

You want to kiss me?

Yeah, but

-Since this is a public place

-What? Is this a public place?

I got a loan with a lot of difficulty

to buy this house!

Is that all?

-Rachel.

-Your name?

Rose.

-Okay, you may go in.

-Thank you.

Why did you ask me to come here?

Have a seat. I'll tell you.

Rishi sir had asked me to

retrieve the deleted messages

from Ekambaram's secret phone,

remember?

Ekambaram had sent a few messages

from that number to his manager Vasanthi.

He has mentioned paying a huge

sum of money to a few news reporters.

I thought as much!

All these Managers and PAs know each and

every little shady secret of their bosses.

But this Vasanthi

she pretended and said

she didn't know anything!

Right!

Isn't that Vasanthi?

You stay here.

I'll use other means to get the truth

out of her.

You asked if I had a boyfriend, right?

I had a girlfriend.

But not anymore.

Ayyanar

-I am a

-No, no!

Don't say anything.

I don't want to talk about this.

But you said I can talk

to you about anything.

No, no. You don't

have to tell me anything

nor do I have to know anything.

You can't even look at me now, is it?

Are you disgusted by me?

Didn't you say that you

were my friend, Ayyanar?

All these years

I was living in self-hatred.

But you know what?

I am so tired of all this, Ayyanar.

There's no point in hurting myself.

I won't do it anymore.

Why should I hurt myself?

Why should I live in fear?

Why should I hide in the closet?

There's nothing wrong with me.

This is me, Ayyanar.

This is me.

I was raised in a conservative family.

No one talked about such things.

All these are very alien to me.

I know, Ayyanar.

I don't think I can just completely

change my mindset overnight.

But I'll surely make an effort

to understand everything.

I meant what I said

I am your friend.

Robert and Ekambaram didn't have

any connections with the poachers.

But we already knew that.

Under the pretext of a road

construction contract,

Ekambaram had cut down acres

and acres of trees illegally.

Five years ago, hundreds of animals

and birds died in that forest area

because they lost their natural habitat.

Sir, not many people know about this.

Because Ekambaram used

his money and influence,

to influence the media,

forest officials, and politicians.

He covered up the whole

thing as if it never happened.

We were asking ourselves why

these particular victims were targeted.

This is the answer.

Each one of them

has done something or the other

to destroy the forest and

the wildlife living there.

Who's that?

Who the f*ck is there?

f*ck! Why are you

creeping up like a ghost?

And what took you so long?

I was going mad with hunger!

I couldn't go out and hunt

for food either.

If you had been a little late,

I'd have cut my own leg and eaten it!

-Give that to me.

-Here.

The police are still looking

for you in the forest.

You think it is easy to dodge them,

escape the wild animals, and come here?

Fine. Did you talk to Aadhi?

He said he'll bring a vehicle

by the snake curve.

Be careful and reach that place

before the sun rises. Got it?

Look here, I did everything you asked for.

Don't expect any more favors from me.

Get lost and don't ever show

your face in this town again.

Understood?

Okay! f*ck off!

Come in, Rishi.

Have a seat.

How are you feeling?

I'm doing good.

But my dad is making

a big fuss over nothing.

The swelling in your eye

seems to have reduced.

Yeah. I'm glad that I can finally see

with both my eyes now.

I'm sorry.

That's okay.

Enough, Dad.

If you keep bending like this,

you'll strain your back.

Oh, shut up!

I know what I'm doing, okay?

I am fine, Dad.

Don't trouble yourself

unnecessarily for my sake.

You can go back home.

Yes, I'll go back.

But you must also come with me.

Dad, I have to stay in Thaenkaadu.

There are a lot of issues here.

I can't drop everything

and leave from here.

We'll discuss this later.

I have a lot of chores in the kitchen.

Please stay and have lunch with us. Okay?

Sure. Thanks.

How are you doing, Rishi?

No one has asked me

that in a long time.

I've always been

quite sure of a lot

of things in my life.

I believed that everything that

seemed mysterious on the surface

always had a rational explanation.

But nowadays,

I'm not so sure.

This case has taken a toll on you.

-Sathya here.

-Hello.

Ma'am.

We came to know that

someone close to Sekar

had arranged for his escape

from the forest.

He is Sekar's relative.

When we went to his house

and questioned him,

he admitted that he arranged for a driver

and a vehicle to take Sekar to Mysore.

We brought him along to

show us the pick-up spot, but

we found him like this.

Tell us what happened.

What's there to say?

Sekar was my elder sister's son.

I had no other

option but to help him.

That's not what I asked.

I don't know how he died.

I need to talk to him in private.

-Hope that's okay, ma'am.

-Sure.

My sister died right after

giving birth to this guy.

Her husband was a drunkard.

Useless fellow!

When the boy was just a year old,

that man abandoned him,

and ran away with a prost*tute.

So, were you the one who raised him?

Where was Sekar

hiding all this while?

What happened to him?

I'm just trying to find out

who did this to him.

He was hiding inside a cave,

half a kilometer from here.

A cave?

How big is this cave?

I think it's several miles long.

Several miles?

That's what I've heard.

I don't think anyone

has fully explored it yet.

You really want to do this now Rishi?

There's an old map at the station.

It's better to come back

later after checking the map.

Sekar may have been k*lled here.

We need to check if

we can find something

before the crime scene

gets compromised.

The rainwater has already

started seeping inside.

Yes. This whole area

might get flooded very soon.

Okay.

We'll proceed.

But remember, we should stick together.

Otherwise, we

could easily get lost.

Okay?

Hey! What's wrong with you?

I've never gone inside a cave before.

The sightseeing can wait.

Just come in!

No, I think I might have claustrophobia.

You wait here then.

We'll come back and update you.

No, sir. No, sir.

I'll come, sir. Let's go.

Careful!

-Are you sure?

-I'm fine, sir. Let's go.

Chitra.

Just breathe.

Okay?

Careful!

Watch your step.

There!

This is the crime scene.

Sir.

There's a different set

of footprints here.

Sir!

There's something inside.

Wait! Don't get too close!

There could be bats!

I can't see anything, sir.

Just stay put. They'll go away.

Hey, Chitra!

Are you okay?

Come, get up.

What's this white dust?

Here, hold this.

Careful.

We need to check out where

this sound is coming from.

Which path do we take?

We'll split up and explore both tunnels.

Sir.

Splitting up is always a risk.

We've seen that many times.

Let's pick one tunnel

and check it out together.

I agree!

Then we'll be circling the place all day.

You and Ayyanar take this tunnel.

Chitra and I will go in the right.

We'll cover more areas that way.

Chitra, are you coming?

Sir! Coming, sir.

Sir, the path ends here.

I don't think anybody

would've come this far.

Let's head back.

-Sir

-Yes?

Sir!

Why are there so many insects inside this?

Sir?

Where are you?

I'm right here.

Follow my voice.

I think the insects build nests

and live here.

Ayyanar, let's get out of here.

Chitra!

Chitra! Don't be scared!

It's just a statue.

Chitra, calm down.

They are coming!

Chitra, relax. Calm down.

They are going to k*ll us!

Chitra!

Sir!

Chitra!

Sir!

Sir

Rishi!

Sir, are you okay?

Yeah.

Hey, Chitra!

That cave

it still gives me nightmares.

I was posted as a DFO

in Thaenkaadu back then.

It was around that time,

that the tribal relocation

scheme was introduced.

But the indigenous tribe

called the Kaanagar,

who have been living in the forest

for hundreds of years

refused to leave their homeland.

We promised to give them

money, jobs, and land

but they were stubborn and

didn't accept the offers.

Pressure was mounting on

us from the higher officials.

Because of the repeated visits,

intimidation,

and compulsion to vacate the forest,

they became more and more frustrated

and angry.

They started protesting.

This is our motherland!

We will not go from here!

This is our forest!

We will not go from here!

But things were not in their favor.

One night, they performed

some kind of an occult ritual and

they all committed mass suicide.

Mass suicide?

Yes. We were shocked too!

Why didn't anyone stop this?

No one expected

such a thing to happen.

When the tribal people

did not show up for work

at the tea plantations and farms,

the contractors got concerned.

There were no signs of any Kaanagar people

in the forest either.

And that raised a suspicion.

When we went to their settlement,

we saw that their huts were deserted.

When we searched,

we saw smoke

coming out of the cave.

The entrance of the cavern was

sealed from the inside with a large rock.

It took almost 10 to 15 forestry workers

to move the rock and get inside.

But by then, they were dead and

all we found were burnt carcasses.

Why are their remains still there?

Why weren't they removed back then?

No one was willing to

touch the bodies at first.

The workers were too scared.

We kept sending different people

into the cave.

Those who went in claimed that

the tribals were coming

back as undead zombies.

Since the air and the dust inside

the cave were becoming toxic,

we thought they were hallucinating.

The plan to remove their

corpses was postponed.

After that, it never happened.

-Velu! Can't you see it's raining?

-Sir?

Tie the cow inside the shed.

Okay, sir.

When the Kaanagar Tribe was

asked to vacate the forest,

a lot of protests happened against it.

You too joined the protest

and fought on their behalf.

Why did you support them?

Was it a political stunt?

You must first know

something about the Kaanagar Tribe.

They were a very noble

and kind-hearted clan.

They loved the forest

and lived in unison

with all the living beings

inside the forest.

They planted saplings and took

care of them like their own children.

They hunted only for food,

never for sport.

They even treated injured wild animals,

took care of them, and

released them back into the wild.

They considered it their duty to protect

the animals and conserve the forest.

But do you know what happened to them?

Just because they didn't agree

to move out of the forest,

many of them were falsely

arrested for poaching,

smuggling, and other

ill*gal activities in the forest.

How could I stay silent

after witnessing all that?

But for that

all of them got together,

without even sparing the children,

and threw themselves into the fire.

That's such a horrible thing to do!

You still don't get it, do you?

There was a plan to launch a huge

mining project at Thaenkaadu.

That's why they were asked

to vacate the forest.

Underneath this forest, there is

coal ore worth hundreds of crores!

If it was allowed then,

they would have mowed down

and destroyed this entire forest.

It is not surprising that

the Kaanagar Tribe opposed this.

The issue blew up and some civil

society groups protested against it.

They requested that the government

should declare

Thaenkaadu

as an Ecologically Sensitive Area.

I supported them along

with other tribal activists.

But it was all in vain.

Then suddenly the mass suicide happened.

After that, the issue became really huge,

and the mining project was dropped.

So, in order to stop the mining project

and save the forest,

they all sacrificed their lives.

Is that what you're saying?

That's what we believe.

The shift has been allotted.

Come on, guys.

Let's go!

-Welcome, madam.

-Hello.

-Hello, madam.

-Here's the permit file.

That mass suicide incident

and the Vanaratchi murders happening now

are definitely connected.

But we need to find out how.

Chitra?

Are you still thinking about

what happened in the cave?

The white dust you inhaled,

was toxic.

I saw your eyes.

They are coming!

Your pupils were dilated.

You were just hallucinating.

Sir, I too assumed that at first.

But I never even knew that

those tribal people existed.

Then how did I see apparitions of them?

Why are you silent?

You won't believe what I have to say.

It's okay. Tell me anyway.

I was reading about various mass suicides

from all over the world.

Heaven's Gate,

Jonestown,

the Solar temple

and the one that happened

in Delhi, the Burari case.

All of them happened in a cult set-up.

Behind all these mass suicides,

there was some sort of religious

or spiritual reason.

The Kaanagar deaths is

also a ritualistic suicide.

Yes, they conducted some ritual

in front of the Vanaratchi's statue.

It is mentioned in the report.

It was not just a ritual

but a conjuring.

They all sacrificed their lives

to bring Vanaratchi's spirit

into this world.

As the sound of Thondaga

Parai beats the earth

Open your eyes

Oh, Queen of the Forest!

Bedecked with the golden

Oleander, like a flame in the dark

To consume the demons in the fire

Thou shall arrive

To slay all the negative forces

Possess with rage

Oh, Queen of the Forest

Come and take the ceremonial bath

Using the blood of

Demons like sandalwood!

Come!

I will come like a mysterious

Wind which spins web

I'll protect the forest

This is Vanaratchi's Thaenkaadu!

As the sound of Thondaga

Parai beats the earth

I will have a thundering entrance!

Bedecked with the golden oleander

Like a flame in the dark

I will consume the demons in the fire

To slay all the negative forces

I will come as your protector!

With my reddened fiery eyes

I will drench in your blood

I will come like a mysterious

Wind which spins web

And your life will leave you

With a last breath!

Sacrifice the body of the demon!

Arrest his two open eyes

Stop the life out of his heartbeat

Bless the forest always!

Come

Coming Vanaratchi

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to Kathy sister

Happy birthday to you!

Hey!

Don't be in such a rush!

Sister, he does this during

all our birthdays.

Cut the cake yourself.

Happy birthday.

Thank you.

Sorry, I didn't get you anything.

Short notice!

That's okay.

I don't want anything.

I'd be happy if you made a donation

to the orphanage.

Sure. Definitely.

So,

where did you disappear off to?

Haven't seen you for a few days.

Since Sathya sir was with you

they told me to attend

to the fence repair work

that was happening near the highway.

Oh no!

What happened?

-Sorry, Uncle.

-Are you okay?

It's okay. No worries.

-What is this?

-It popped on its own, sister.

Oh! Look at that, he took his eye out.

It's not my real eye

it's a prosthetic.

What's that?

It's just a shell to cover my injured eye.

Just like contact lenses.

Why do you wear it?

So that you don't get

scared looking at my eye.

It's not scary at all.

It's actually super cool, Uncle.

I'm so sorry.

I shouldn't have allowed

them to buy confetti.

It's alright.

They're just kids.

They should be having fun.

One second.

Does it hurt?

Nowadays, it doesn't hurt.

-Thank you, sister. I'll come another day.

-Welcome.

It's our pleasure, God bless you.

-Thank you.

-Okay.

Mary and Anthony, please

come and clean this place.

Okay, sister.

That's Mother Leana.

The founder of this orphanage.

She is so loving and caring

to all the children here.

We too are very fond of her.

She's like our own mother.

If she was here,

I'd have definitely

introduced you to her.

But

she is really unwell

and has been admitted to a hospital.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I didn't want to cry on my birthday.

Shall we leave?

I like you.

I think you too feel the same way

about me.

I don't know if that's true

or if I'm just foolishly imagining things.

I've never felt this way

about anyone like this before.

This is all very new to me.

I'm sorry.

Just forget I said anything.

I got carried away by my emotions

and blabbered.

I too feel the same way about you.

Ever since Viji died

I kinda died on the inside too.

I never thought that I could love

someone else.

But

No!

Don't be scared.

Careful!