Up to Jan 29

Kolangal

a lot has happened since the last posting. Tolkapian kidnaps the three apartment owners, takes them to a slum area near the beach, and threatens to kill them unless they sign over their property to Abhi constructions, as per their earlier agreement. meanwhile, their wives complain to Adi. Adi organizes a group of ruffians to go to Tolkappian's house and threaten Shanti and her daughter.  he then calls Tholkappain saying that unless the apartmentowners arereleased, Shanti and the child will come to harm. Tolkappian agrees to let them go. Normally, that should have been enough.  But, Adi being Adi, he wants to personally enjoy Tolkappain's discomfiture.  He says, quote it right there, I want to come and see you.  He reaches the beach, where Tols is standing with a group of his associates (read, milder thugs). When Adi asks, he says the three have already been sent back home.  If he wants, he can check up himself by calling their wives. Adi does so. He gets a positive answer saying they have reached home.  Now this is a huge gamble.  After all, where is the guarantee that they themselves would not have answered the phone?  Anyhow. now Adi calls off his men. Tolkappian calls Shanti to verify that they have left, and walks away to talk to her in private.  When he returns, he finds Adi gloating over how no one can best him. Tolkappian tells him not to be so sure.  He pulls out of his pocket a sheet of paper, and hands it to Adi. Adi read through it and grows increasingly furious. He discovers that Tolkappian has pulled a fast one on him.  He tears up the agreement, and says, triumphantly, not what would you do?  Tolkappian smiles, and answers that that was only a color copy, the original is safe elsewhere.  Now, Adi says wait just a second I would have my men go right backand get your  friends (Shanti and child). Once again, Tolkappian smiles.  What you think I was talking to her about, he asks.  I've asked her to go to another place, but you cannot find.  Adi knows he has lost this round. he threatens retribution and walks away.

When Tolkappian brings the agreement to Ranjan and says the registration will be tomorrow, Ranjan and Rajamani say they want no part of it, because it has been  acquired using threats.  Tolkappian explains to them that this was necessary only because they would not keep their end of the bargain.  They refuse to agree.  They tell him that unless the project is completed on the given date they will be out of it.  Tolkappian then goes searching for someone to buy the land.  He manages to find an electronics magnate, who agrees to buy the land.the registration will be tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Inspector Prabhu's wife and sonhave returnedfrom Pondicherry, saying the place did not agree with them.  She says her father-in-law died suddenly, and all his pension arrears will take a while to come through.  In the meantime she, she was hoping Tolkappian will be able to help.  He says he will try his best, but right now he is in a hurry to go to a meeting. Gunga, who is there, offers to help.  She says, elliptically, that in a way, it could even be considered as a penance on her part. When the lady says she has no place to stay, Gunga says the auto portion of herhome is available for rent.  She then rushes home, to persuade her father to give the place to the lady.Her father refuses,but Gunga uses psychology.  She argues against giving this lady the apartment.  Immediately the father turns aroundand says the city must get the apartment.it is all settled.  Ramachandran has his eye on this potential fling, and tries to get friendly with the new tenant.


Arasi
Much water underthe Pamban bridge, so to speak.

On the day of the immersion of Tamarai's ashes, Andavan has set a couple of his goons to go on underwater and cut GJ's throat. At the last minute, GJ invites Selvi to walk with him into the water they can immerse Tamarai's ashes together. Why she would agree is one of those eternal mysteries of Tamil serials. she does as both of them are submerged, Selvi gets up, clutching her throat, full of blood.  everyone rushes to her, and take her to thehospital.  They also catch hold of GJ and hand him over to the police, saying that he had somehow hidden a knife on himself and tried to kill her. Like Tendulkar's 41st century, the number of hospital scenes in Selvi/Arasi must also be a world record. In these hospitals are anything but the crowded hell-holes  the rest of us get to endure. The Selvi family seem to be the only occupants. as usual the doctor says nothing can be said of the moment  They have operate.

yogeswaran rushes to the temple, where a homam is being performed by Sentamilarasi's family, for the well-being of her daughter.  The family thinks this is for Kalai. During the ceremony, Yogeswaran shows up on obtrusively, and manages to attract Sentamilarasi's  attention he tells her that her elder daughter is in grave danger, and lying in the hospital fighting for her life.  He pleads with her that she should come to the hospital and just call out to her daughter and all will be well.  She struggles a little,but in the end says she cannot.  My daughter will be well she tells him.  I cannot compromise my current life by doing these things.  Then she asks, how much money do you need?  Yogeswaran is insulted.  He says you cannot put a price on this, all that is needed is you visiting your daughter.  She refuses and asks him to leave.  Then he thunders, "you will have to answer for this one day, Sentamilarasi!", and leaves.  When she gets back to the homam, it is almost over.  She bids the others to leave saying she needs to talk to the priest, and then tells him to perform a similar homam for Selvi. He does. The paguttarivu channel now shows, as the homam proceeds, Selvi slowly opening her eyes and regaining consciousness. Soon the doctor emerges, and tells the family that she is out of danger.  However it is a different question whether she can regain her voice.  The injury to the throat leaves that open to doubt.they all go in and see her.  The cops come too. They have been clamoring to put away GJ for life. The cop says he needs her statement to take any further action. She cannot talk. They put a piece of paper before, asking to write GJ's name. She does so, but adds the words, "did not do it. It was another face." Everyone is shocked. The cop says so much for your evidence, to all of them,  and walks away.

back in the police station, they release GJ. When he asks why they are being so nice to him all of a sudden, the inspector shows him Selvi's statement. He appreciates her honesty to himself.  Then he heads straight to the hospital,  where no one will talk to him, or tell him where Selvi is. As he says, I will go and find out from the front desk, young Kaveri jumps up and takes his hand, saying, "I will show you", leads him straight to the room. There, he hands out a piece of paper to Selvi, asking her to sign it, so that the case against him can be withdrawn. She is disgusted.  She crumples up the paper and throws it aside. he is in a rage. Why won't you do it, he shouts.  Why can't you be a woman, like other women? by this time, Yogeswaran is in the room. He grips GJ, and asks him to leave.   When GJ refuses and lies on the floor in a mariyal, he calls the young men - Tamarai's  brothers and Prabanjan, and they bodily lift GJ and take them out of the room. Now it is kaveri's turn.   She lies on the floor, and demands her father.

They all decide to go back to Madras same-day. As does Sentamilarasi.  She too has had enough of this place, and insists on going back to Madras immediately.

Back in Madras, we are shown Selvi's new mansion. The lone Tiffin shop has grown to a half-dozen hotels, and the new one is scheduled to be opened shortly. Entering the front door, Selvi's mother says some insulting things about those who would feed off Selvi's success, hint, hint to Tamarai's father. When her husband chides her, she says I have every night to say all this because I am, after all, Selvi's mother.  I'm family!  Tamarai's father is deeply wounded by her words, and makes his way to Selvi, sitting with a bandage around her neck, to seek permission to move back with his own sons. Having lost her voice, she cannot say anything, but she does a nice job of showing her distress. He assures her that he will be at her beck and call, no matter where he is.

at Sentamilarasi's p place, she has decided to plunge back into work so that she can forget a guilty conscience at not having gone and visited herdaughter. She decides to take kalai with her to Bombay.  Just as they are leaving, Kalai  faints, and her brother rushes to her, and discovers that there is blood coming out of her mouth.

GJ is playing a deep game with his daughter's affection.  the child asks him why he has not come to see her and he gives her a cock and bull story. Selvi is anguished at her talking to him, but also sees that the child is longing for him.