[eerie music playing]
[rousing music]
How did you answer it all correctly?
I studied at home, sir.
Superb, darling.
Thanks!
How did you get hurt?
I bumped into a cycle.
You should've been careful while riding.
You should ride carefully. Okay?
Hmm.
Congrats! Awesome!
Thank you, sir.
- Let him out! We'll deal with him. - Listen to me! Calm down!
- Stay calm. - Where is my daughter?
- Tell me. - What do you know? Send him out!
- Stay calm! - Why are you yelling?
- Calm down! - Send him out, sir.
- Don't you get it? - Hand him over to us, sir.
- Sir is here. - Make way, everyone.
Step aside!
[car whirring]
- Sir! - [crowd chatter]
Sir, listen to us...
- [crowd chatter] - Sir!
- Sir, he pleaded guilty to it. - Really?
- To prove that he did it... - We have evidence for it, sir.
[suspenseful music playing]
What next, sir?
Do we have proper evidence?
Yes, sir.
Get the papers ready and produce him in court tomorrow.
Okay, sir.
Go out and inform the victims' parents.
- Let's clear the crowd first. - Okay, sir.
- Calm down! - Hey!
- Don't shout! - All of you, calm down!
- Be patient. Don't shout. - [crowd chatter]
- Wait! - Don't shout, madam.
Silence! Calm down, don't shout.
- Victims' parents, step ahead. - [crowd chatter]
Wait, madam.
He pleaded guilty to the crime.
- So-- - Sir.
- Where is my daughter? - Wait. We've just arrested him.
He hasn't confessed as to how he committed the crimes.
Only after producing him in court and interrogating him in custody,
will we know what he did.
Please be patient until then.
- My daughter... - Please cooperate with us.
- Please be patient. We'll find out. - Sir.
We'll find out, madam.
- He must be hanged. - We'll investigate and inform.
- Go on, madam. We'll let you know. - Sir!
- Sir, please ask him. - Come on.
Don't crowd here. Scram!
Scram!
First, a girl called Subha went missing.
Raghu was her math teacher.
The year she went missing,
he quit his job, too.
It made me suspicious.
He's educated. He wants to teach the kids,
so the villagers look up to him.
So, he changed schools frequently to scout his targets.
When the kids would be studying,
he would click many pictures of them without their knowledge.
Who knows what he did to them?
Nothing must've happened to Mercy.
She still believes that Mercy will return.
Be careful.
You're also deserting me in these dark times.
No, I have to regularly take Rahul for check-ups.
So, carrying him from the first floor gets tough.
We're nearby. We'll visit often.
Okay?
- Take care, dear. - Okay then.
- See you. - Come on.
[cries]
[emotional music playing]
Everything is over.
When I think of Esther...
[eerie vocalising]
Kayal.
I'm a mere car driver, like I told you the other day.
I have to go to the shops when they ask me to.
I have to pick up and drop off their kids.
I have to run their errands.
Following senior officers' instructions is part of the job.
Then you're helping them.
Does anybody scold a person who helps them?
Kayal, go and eat.
[soft grunt]
Does he scold you every day, Dad?
Then how do you manage to remain happy daily?
[emotional music playing]
It's my fault too.
Go and eat.
[soft grunt]
[clears throat]
Does the DSP know that it's you who actually caught Raghu?
I'll have to ask Rathinam to put in a word.
Hmm.
Don't worry about Kayal.
She will be fine.
[gentle music playing]
- Mom. - Come in, Esther.
Papa?
He's inside.
Hmm.
[fan creaks]
Papa.
What is it?
Come in.
I have something to discuss.
[tense music playing]
- [bike whirring] - [people chatter]
- Brother. - Yes.
Does the DSP know that I helped arrest him?
The inspector knows.
He has promised to put in a word. Don't worry.
Tell me.
I don't know whom to talk to.
Everything is so puzzling.
I don't understand.
That night,
I called Mercy to church.
I told the police that I asked her to follow me.
Hmm.
I didn't call Mercy to church.
[tense music playing]
No, Mercy and my daughter are friends.
How is she different from my daughter?
Just a moment.
Be quick.
Hey! What did those kids do to you?
Why did you do this?
Tell me.
How could you abduct those innocent kids?
Tell me!
I had a fight with her.
She was very angry with me.
How could you rape a child like Mercy?
Sir...
- What are you saying? - Look!
- If you pretend, I'll skin you-- - Sir!
What are you saying?
She discovered a secret.
W... What?
Raghu and I
were in love at one point.
[gentle music playing]
Raghu, my father must wish for my happiness, right?
Hmm.
How does your identity matter?
What matters is that you're important to me.
[soft chuckle]
Esther.
- So, love... - Hmm.
is blind to man-made concepts
- like caste, religion, or wealth. - Hmm.
- But marriage is not like that. - Hmm.
For marriage, this is all that matters.
[chuckles]
What can we do?
[gentle music playing]
Who decides in such matters?
I don't understand.
My village folks and neighbours are deciding who I must marry.
Isn't it?
- They're so concerned. - [chuckles]
[chuckles]
I couldn't convince my family.
So, we got married secretly.
And we left for another town.
But just two days after the wedding...
This house isn't luxurious. It's so small. Huh?
I'm happy.
[grins]
I've told my friends.
We will shift soon.
Or if I get transferred, we will move to another city. Hmm?
- Please manage till then. Hmm? - Hmm.
- Another city... - [door breaks open] There he is!
- Beat him! - What are you doing?
- How dare you? - Don't beat him!
- Esther is our daughter. - How dare you bring disrepute to her?
- How can you ruin our reputation? - No, let him go!
Hold him, brother!
- Beat him up! - [cries] Don't...
- Esther... - Beat him to a pulp!
- Will you dare to do it again? - Dad... [wails]
Dad!
Who do you think you messed with? [slaps]
Oh my! Raghu!
Raghu!
- Esther! - After that,
I had no news of Raghu after that.
They told me that he ran away fearing their beating.
Without a second thought,
they got me married to Solomon,
despite knowing that he's an alcoholic.
[rousing music]
After marrying Solomon,
I hated my life.
He would get drunk and beat me every day.
Where is my alcohol?
[yelps] You drained it down. Hey...
- Hey! I'll kill you. - [squeals]
[screams]
Sorry. Take this.
Eat it when I offer.
[grunts]
Just pain and torture.
Without a choice, I accepted him
as my husband, putting Raghu behind.
- But I didn't like this life. - [grunts]
Hey, leave me. I'll...
I contemplated harming myself, even dying.
Give me money.
But soon after marriage, I got pregnant.
I decided to live well for my child.
One day, Solomon got drunk
and fell somewhere. So, I took him to the hospital.
That's when they told me
that due to his alcohol abuse,
he can't become a father.
How can I do this to Mercy, sir? Huh?
Mercy... [cries]
Mercy is my daughter, sir.
What are you saying?
She's my child, sir.
[cries]
I didn't have the courage to tell Solomon that it's Raghu's baby.
Moreover, she's my child.
That's why I hid this truth from everyone.
I focused only on her.
Solomon is my husband, Mercy is my child, and this is my family,
I moved on.
But a few years later...
Esther.
- How are you, Esther? - Hmm.
Are you happy?
Does he treat you well?
Hmm.
He treats me and my child well.
We're happy.
Let's go, Mom.
- Child, what's your name? - Mercy.
- No.
See you, then.
I hid it from Raghu
but he somehow found out the truth.
The way she talks and behaves,
I've been observing it, Esther. It's like watching myself.
Your refusal speaks volumes to me, Esther.
She's my daughter.
After learning that Mercy is his daughter, he couldn't hold back,
and couldn't bear the torture that I was going through,
so he asked us to move in with him.
Let's not care about this village or your marriage. Let's go, Esther.
I've thought it through.
Raghu, I should've stayed with you even if we died that day.
I made a mistake.
I don't want to break up with Solomon and repeat the mistake.
Tsk!
How can I leave after learning that Mercy is my daughter?
It's okay even if you don't come.
Send Mercy with me. She's enough for me.
Huh?
Give her to me.
Look, I can't do that.
Mercy is my daughter.
Is she not my daughter?
I won't send Mercy.
- Esther, I'm not threatening you. - Um-hmm.
- Try to understand, Esther. - No, I won't.
What do we do then?
- You tell me. What do we do? - Raghu, try to understand.
How could I leave after learning that Mercy is my daughter, sir?
That's why I decided to stay there.
[gentle music playing]
[camera clicks]
How do you answer it so perfectly?
I studied at home, sir.
Superb, darling!
Thanks!
How did you get hurt?
I fell off the cycle.
You should've been careful while riding.
- Ride carefully, okay? - Hmm.
[camera clicks]
Congrats! Awesome!
Thank you, sir.
I've often had the urge to tell Mercy that I'm her father.
But I feared how she'd perceive it as a child.
I would watch her for at least two hours a day, sir.
I didn't want to lose that chance so I never told her, sir.
Not just that. I imagined how others would taunt
or ill-treat Esther and Mercy.
But...
[chuckles]
One day...
How many times do I tell you?
Are you asking me to charge a fee to teach my daughter?
I don't want anybody to teach my daughter for free.
If you don't want it, I'll not send her hereafter.
Nobody will have a problem.
- Esther, I didn't mean it. - According to her,
her father's name is Solomon.
Don't say that, Esther.
[emotional music playing]
Don't say that.
Don't call someone else the father of my child.
- It irks me. - Enough!
If you want my daughter to study here, I'll pay the fees.
Tsk!
Hey! Esther!
Esther!
Esther, stop...
I didn't know how to explain this to her.
Please talk to me.
- Say something. - Tsk!
I tried hard, but I couldn't make her understand.
Enough.
- Mercy, wait for me. - Grandpa.
- What? - May I join you?
- Have a seat, Mercy. - Take this, Mercy. Mercy!
What's the matter? Don't have space to keep it?
Okay, hold on, dear.
Please talk to me, Mercy.
Say whatever you want.
How can we go on not talking like this?
Mercy, I live for you.
Don't touch me. I don't like you.
I don't even know if you're mature enough to understand it.
I always thought that my father is a bad person.
But even he seems better now.
[emotional music playing]
[coughs]
Esther, think about what I said.
We can convince Mercy.
We don't need this, Esther.
Let us leave.
- I'll speak to Mercy, Esther. - I don't want this.
I don't want any of it.
I always feared this.
Don't speak to Mercy anymore.
Don't stay in touch with her.
- That's my decision. - Hey...
Don't speak.
Es... Esther!
[sniffles]
Then why did Raghu plead guilty?
I'm confused too.
Hey, then why did you plead guilty?
So, you already know Esther.
Tell me. Why did you go to her house that day?
You'd better tell the truth.
If I leave you outside,
everyone will beat you to death.
Sir, after Esther left that day,
I realised that speaking to her was of no use.
So, I went to their house to speak to Mercy directly.
[cries] Oh! Mercy!
It's because of you.
- It's because of you... - Solomon! What are you doing?
- Hey, Solomon! - [groans]
- Hey! - [screams]
[tense music playing]
[dog barks]
Sir, this is a murder case.
Sir, I didn't kill him.
It was a mistake. I didn't do it intentionally.
Are you the only one who knows that you pushed him
- or does Esther know it too? - Sir.
Sir, Esther knows nothing.
Hmm.
To get rid off all the obstacles from your love affair,
I think both of you conspired to kill her husband.
Sir, why are you saying all this?
You're the only link to all the missing girls.
I agree that I was working at those schools when the girls went missing.
But I have no connection
with the disappearance of those girls, sir.
You were present when each of them went missing.
But you're calling it a coincidence.
If her husband and child are dead, your path is clear.
But you're saying that Esther is unaware.
Which one do you want me to believe?
Honestly, I don't know, sir.
- Brother. - Sir.
- Call the press. - Yes, sir.
In a love triangle,
after killing her husband and daughter,
Raghu is arrested. Get this news published tomorrow.
- Sir, don't do this. - Do it, brother.
- Okay, sir. - Sir!
I didn't want Esther and Mercy to be troubled because of me.
That's why I agreed.
But now you're talking about rape.
What happened to Mercy, sir?
Who did this?
Tell me, sir.
Gautam, come out.
Gautam, I asked you to come out.
Tell me, sir. What happened to Mercy?
Sir!
Sir, tell me! What happened to Mercy?
I spoke to Raghu.
He is innocent.
He's still on the loose, right?
If someone else gets acquitted for his crimes,
then the real criminal will be relaxed,
and feel encouraged.
That will rouse the desire in him to commit another crime.
No, sir. We have to catch him before that.
In the cases of the other abducted girls...
is there anything new?
'Three girls have disappeared so far on festival nights.'
'But I've spoken to him.'
'It showed as a private call on an app.'
'I could smell spirit on Mercy, sir.'
'She went to her relative's house for the festival celebration.'
'We learnt after 4-5 days that she is missing.'
'He has targeted girls around 10-12 years of age.'
'She doesn't have good parents.'
'Mercy is Raghu's daughter.'
'Mercy is my daughter, sir.' [cries]
I have a feeling. Let me confirm it.
Okay.
- Print all of these. Hmm? - Okay, sir.
- Go on, I'll be there. - Okay.
Come in, sir.
We spoke about Princy the other day.
Uh. Yes.
You used
a word in that conversation.
If parents are not good...
Why did you say that?
Uh, I don't remember well.
I've heard that her mother was in a relationship.
Her father deserted them.
Whether he's the real father or not,
has been a point of discussion and doubt.
I don't know more, sir.
Your daughter...
We have some lead on your daughter's case.
Whether we should believe it or not, depends on your truth.
Yes. Tell me, sir.
Is your husband not around?
He's out for work. He'll be back late, sir.
It's alright, sir. You can speak to me.
Is your daughter, Subha,
your biological daughter with your husband?
Get up now!
Get up!
- No... - Get out first.
Listen, you've been looking for your daughter for years.
If you want to know the answer, then tell me the truth.
I'm not here to create a scene. I'm here to help.
Listen to me.
If Subha is your biological daughter with your husband then I'll leave.
But speak the truth.
[whimpers]
Sir, just a moment.
My husband...
All the girls who went missing were born out of wedlock.
That is, all the girls who went missing, including Mercy.
But what surprises me is that
this fact was kept a secret by all of them.
But how did he know?
- [over TV] The skeleton found in the forest - I don't know.
a few days earlier
was being assumed to be of Mercy,
a girl who went missing in that area.
But as per the forensic report,
it has been confirmed that it's not her.
There's no news of Mercy's whereabouts yet.
[suspenseful music playing]
Hello? Manimaran?
[door rattles open]
[effort grunts]
Check, sir.
Must be around 10-12 years of age.
They're doing physiotherapy for paediatrics. That's why.
Hmm. Just a moment, sir.
Nagaraj.
Would a 9-year-old boy do?
- Yes. - Okay, start.
[axe thumps]
[suspenseful music playing]
Sir, it will be ready in 15 minutes.
[rousing music]
[swishes]
[fire crackles]
Sir, why did you ask me about the fridge suddenly?
No, I'm about to open the medical shop soon.
- Okay, sir. - That's why.
- Thank you, sir. - Alright.
[shutter rattles close]
[dark music playing]
He must've learnt that it's not Mercy by now.
Yes, he will surely come looking for me.
[phone rings]
Sir, it's him.
Speak. Put it on speaker.
Hello.
Considering your age, I underestimated you.
Speak.
Why didn't you do as I said, Bhaskaran?
Speak.
Yes, I cheated you.
Are you going to kill me?
- Do you want to kill me? Come! - Calm down!
I'm going to do it.
Are you trying to play games with me?
Okay, it's my turn now.
Wait and watch.
You will regret not burning Mercy's body as per my orders.
I am responsible for all that has happened so far.
But hereafter, you will be
responsible for what happens. It'll be you, Bhaskaran!
[tense music playing]