01x10 - Close Encounters

[bunniefuu]

Sir? Sathya sir!

Is that Mallika madam?

Look at the fate of our DFO.

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, Inspector.

Tell me, doctor.

I have to show you something.

I conducted a few experiments

with the webspinners.

I tried using different pheromones

to check if I could control them.

-Pheromones?

-Let me explain.

The body of every living

being, including humans,

secrete a natural chemical

substance called pheromones.

Especially insects.

They communicate with each other

using the scent of the pheromones.

For food, mating, building nests, etc.

Just like other living beings,

trees also secrete pheromones.

The pheromone secreted in the root

of a particular tree

strongly attracts these webspinners

and makes them rapidly weave webs.

Let me show you.

So, this pheromone

chemical can be used

to make the insects spin

webs over a dead body.

Yes, it's possible.

This is a new finding!

I'm amazed too!

You shouldn't have

followed me there that night.

If you hadn't come

you'd still be alive now.

Somewhere.

You didn't deserve this.

Why did you come?

I get so angry when I see you.

But I'm unable to show it.

I'm unable to scold you.

Are you really there in front of me?

Or

am I just talking to myself? I don't know.

But one thing is for sure.

I really loved you.

Though there were many problems

and fights,

we had many beautiful moments too.

Memories

I will always cherish.

I miss you so much.

But

I have to let you go.

I have to let you go, Viji.

I have to let you go.

Did they ask us to wait outside?

Yes, they haven't

finished the work inside.

-Hey!

-Hi.

I heard you guys bought a new apartment.

-Congrats.

-Thanks.

Sir asked me to bring Yamuna here

to consult about something.

Don't know what it is.

Sir, our work is done.

You can take your things from your room.

But that storage room is off-limits.

Okay.

Let's go.

Sir?

When a crime happens,

we always ask three

important questions.

Who? Why? And how?

We already know why these

particular victims were k*lled.

Because in some way,

they were all involved in destroying

the forest and k*lling the animals.

Sir.

Yamuna, hi.

Thanks for coming.

You're welcome, sir.

I hope Ayyanar briefed

you about this case.

Yes, sir. He did.

Good. Tell me what you see

in these photos.

These are Kaanagar's cave drawings, right?

Yes. Are these drawings of herbs?

Yes, sir.

These are drawings

of rare and powerful,

leaves, roots, flowers, and

mushrooms found only in Thaenkaadu.

It's impossible for outsiders

to find these herbs

The exact location of

these plants in the forest,

the timings, and methods

to obtain them are a secret,

known only by

the Kaanagar Tribe.

Even if someone

discovers their location,

it is said that these herbs are

safeguarded by venomous snakes.

Outsiders won't even be

able to approach them.

How do you know all this?

My father told me that these tribals

were experts in herbal medicine.

I've also read his research papers

on this subject.

What are these symbols?

These could be instructions and

formulas to make various medicines.

Using these formulas, can someone

prepare sedatives and poisons?

That's the "How".

The people that we are looking for,

have used these herbs

to paralyze the victims,

induce cardiac arrest

and m*rder them.

The pheromones that are

secreted in these tree roots,

have been sprinkled

over the dead bodies

to make the webspinners weave the cocoon.

Now we have the proof that whatever

they did is scientifically possible.

Sir, these herbs are technically

undocumented and unknown substances.

That could be why nothing

showed up in the toxicology tests.

Okay, but the K*llers need to

understand these symbols, right?

It's written in Kaanagar's

native language.

Even if someone got hold of

these formulas and deciphered them,

how would they find the location

of the rare herbs in the forest?

Didn't I just say that only the

Kaanagar Tribe knew about it?

Exactly!

Only the Kaanagar Tribe

would have been able to do it.

But they are all dead.

Not all of them.

The large chamber where

the mass suicide happened,

and this small cavern

with the roots of a large tree

are connected by

a hidden fissure.

A small tunnel.

I believe that when the

mass suicide happened,

some of them didn't go through with it,

and escaped through this fissure.

They must have

climbed up the tree roots

and got out through a hole

in the cave's ceiling.

There is no Vanaratchi.

Those Kaanagars who escaped

are the K*llers we are looking for.

Yes, sir. About 20 of them

are working inside.

All other workers have left.

The manager also left

a few minutes ago, sir.

He said he'll call you in the morning.

Pardon me, sir.

My phone's battery is running out.

It might turn off at any moment.

Okay, I'll inform, sir.

I'll hang up now.

Why is he calling me for everything?

as*h*le!

Why are you late?

Get started with the work.

Sorry, sir. I'll get going.

Hey, why are you

showing so much attitude?

Then what?

You expect me to believe all the

stupid gossip about the murders?

Kalai, the news about

the murders is true.

The villagers here say that

some evil spirit k*lled them.

Do I look like a fool

to believe all this?

Hey! You know something?

The mine that we are digging

is connected to that spirit's cave.

Even Pandi said so!

Does he think we are little kids

to believe all this?

Hey, who's that?

I told that idiot Kumar to

refill the generator's diesel.

He must have forgotten.

Do we have a backup?

We just have this one

for the night shift, sir.

Ayyanar, ask him what happened.

-Hey, what happened?

-There

The Ratchi is there!

Who is making ghostly noises there?

Hey, Pandi. Is that you?

f*ck, I'm gonna beat the crap

out of you.

Brother, what is that?

Hey! What's happening here?

What are you saying?

The workers are trapped inside.

We need to get them to safety.

Come on. Let's clear this.

Sir, careful.

You both clear this out.

I'll go and look for another

way. Give me the torch.

Here, sir.

Wait. Hold on. Slowly.

Stop!

Stop right there!

There is no Vanaratchi.

Those Kaanagars who escaped

are the K*llers we are looking for.

Why would they dump the body here?

It looks like a warning meant for us.

This is overconfidence! Recklessness!

I was waiting for them

to make a mistake.

This is it!

Think about it.

Who has access to this guest house?

Who can go in and out of the

forest without raising suspicion?

Who can easily destroy all the evidence?

Who is close enough to divert

the investigation?

Then where are they?

Hiding in the forest?

No, they are right in front of us.

Hiding in plain sight.

I'm not really surprised

that you're here.

Finally, figured it all out.

This fissure is too small.

It wouldn't have been easy for a

group of adults to crawl through it.

Even if anyone tried,

the smoke inhalation would have knocked

them out cold inside the fissure itself.

So, those who escaped the cave

would have been children?

Yes.

That means, our suspects must

be between the ages of 21 and 35.

I sensed something was off about Abdul

in the beginning itself.

The way he told us and the cops that

Vanaratchi k*lled Robert

was bothering me.

When I was spying on him, one day

I saw his grandmother abusing

him and calling him an orphan.

She didn't want to pass

on her inheritance to him

since he wasn't born in their family.

So, I believe that

he is one of the survivors.

There is definitely a connection

between Abdul and Mangai.

Without exchanging one word

with each other,

Abdul handed over a parcel

to Mangai that day.

That parcel could have been herbs.

Mangai is definitely one of them.

To justify the Vanaratchi makeup

and costume found in her house,

she used the Vanaratchi

dance drama as a decoy.

When I saw Mangai's photos

in Kaliaperumal's house,

I didn't notice any photos

taken before the age of five.

She too may have been adopted.

But Mangai was in our custody when we

found a video with the Vanaratchi in it!

To get her out,

someone else from her group could

have pretended to be the Vanaratchi.

I was wondering where the children

would have gone after they escaped.

They came to you.

You helped them, didn't you?

You didn't want anyone to know

that these kids were alive.

You also convinced Mother Leana

to keep this a secret.

Why?

If the news of the kids

being alive had come out,

the sacrifice made by the other tribals

would have become meaningless.

That's why I hid the truth.

Not just that.

If some politicians and journalists

came to know about the kids,

they'd have selfishly preyed on

them like vultures feeding on carcasses.

But I thought,

I could give them the opportunity

of a normal life.

It's okay.

I was just discharged

from the hospital today.

Kathy came to see me and

left from here just a while ago.

You just missed her.

Did she make this tea?

Kathy makes excellent herbal tea.

If there is any chronic pain in the body,

drinking her tea instantly makes it better

The mind becomes calm and

there's a sense of relief.

When I was in the hospital,

she used to make that

tea and bring it in a flask.

How's your migraine now?

I hardly get it nowadays.

Do you still see Viji?

Hello!

Rishi?

I asked you a question.

I can't believe

you k*lled all those people!

They deserved it.

That poor Sangeetha.

What mistake did she make?

The child that died in her womb.

What sin did he commit?

They didn't deserve this.

That was an unavoidable misfortune.

We just meant to scare her.

We always leave an eyewitness,

to tell the villagers that

they saw the Vanaratchi.

Only then they will believe.

If anyone dares to harm the forest,

they should fear that the Vanaratchi

will come for them.

There are thousands of ways

to protect the forest.

What you are doing is wrong.

Twenty years ago,

my people tried to protect

the forest in the right way.

And look what happened!

So I found my own way.

-It happened just last week.

-Really?

How are you, brother?

-I'm good, brother. How are you?

-I am good too.

I heard that you got a promotion.

I'm so happy and proud of you.

Thanks, brother.

You carry on. I'll change and come.

You continue.

As I was saying, sir.

The DFO's death seems very suspicious.

He had been there for less than

six months. A gem of a person.

I've never seen him take any bribes.

Do you think that he was m*rder*d?

Isn't that what happens

to the honest officers?

A new DFO named Mallika

has been appointed now.

She takes bribes and turns

a blind eye to everything.

She is in cahoots with many

higher officials as well.

People like me complaining against her

is not going to do any good.

Now I understand how that Poomalai

road construction project got sanctioned.

Isn't that supposed to be

a protected area?

They deforested that area completely.

Many animals and birds that

depended on the forest died.

They burnt all the carcasses

before anyone found out.

Such injustice is happening there, sir!

Our Thaenkaadu Forest is being

butchered by these people.

It's very painful to see.

-Did you find Mangai?

-No, sir.

I searched in her shop and her house.

No one at the cultural center

knows about her whereabouts either.

Sir, I couldn't find Abdul.

I traced his phone to his last known

location and came to that place.

It looks like a storage shed

where they keep all their stuff.

-Both of you please come here at once.

-Okay.

This cylinder was filled with poison.

But

that's too much for just one person!

Isn't it?

They have filled another

cylinder and taken it with them.

Why so much?

This is not for one person.

They must be planning

something really big!

Mining work!

That's what started it all.

And that's what they'll try to stop next.

Is anyone there?

Can anyone hear us?

I can hear you, brother.

Is anyone injured there?

Seven to eight of our

men are badly injured.

We are suffocating badly in here.

-Please, save us!

-Hurry up. Come on.

Sathya.

I know that you are planning

to k*ll the mine workers.

But they are just laborers.

Innocent people.

Please don't harm them.

Sathya

please don't do this.

Let the workers go!

I really like you, Rishi.

You are too good at heart.

You are on the verge of death and you're

still begging for other people's lives.

You're not gonna get away with this.

Goodbye, Rishi.

Vinoth sir's phone

is not reachable.

But we can't wait any longer.

We need to get to the coal mine.

-Now!

-Sir

Yamuna, let's go.

It must be here somewhere.

I read it in Dad's research paper.

If there's a poison,

there must be an antidote for it too.

Just in case one of their own

people accidentally inhales it.

I'm sure they would have

definitely prepared the antidote.

She's right.

Why are you smelling that?

It's okay.

This must be the antidote.

Take a look.

This looks like tobacco khaini.

These are "Narumulli" leaves

mixed with "Thel thattai" seeds.

Very powerful.

Combining the two would be like

giving a shot of adrenaline.

To jump-start a stopped heart.

Yes! In theory.

I think they keep it inside their mouth.

Like khaini?

Something like that.

But you should chew it only

after the poison is inhaled.

Not before that.

Are you sure this is gonna work?

You three are going after them.

I cannot stop that.

Suppose, they attack you

with that poisonous spray,

at least this antidote

might prove handy.

Stop it!

It's over, Sathya!

We have enough proof against you.

I'm telling you one last time.

Just surrender!

Sathya, listen.

Sathya, listen to me!

Hey, stop!

Or else I will sh**t you!

Did you guys notice something?

That first victim, the truck driver Bala

died five years ago.

But Sathya got transferred to Thaenkaadu

only a year after that incident

and reunited with the others.

They didn't k*ll Bala.

Maybe, like the forensic reports said.

That could've been an accident.

But seeing how the villagers feared that

it was the Vanaratchi who k*lled him,

Sathya must have got

the inspiration for his plan.

That's possible, isn't it?

Bala said that he was chased

by the Vanaratchi.

If it wasn't someone from

Sathya's group, then who was it?

So, he must have been k*lled

by the real Vanaratchi.

You all may not believe it,

but a real Vanaratchi

definitely lives in this forest.

Don't start all over again, Ayyanar.

Come, let's leave.

Come.

Come on, let's go.

If anyone dares to harm the forest,

they should fear that the

Vanaratchi will come for them.

I will come like a mysterious wind

Which spins web

I'll protect the forest

This is Vanaratchi's Thaenkaadu!