Before the Rains 2008

In the scenic rural landscape of Kerala, a formidable duo, Henry and T.K., embark on the challenging task of building a road. However, their endeavor quickly becomes entangled in a complex web of forbidden love and deceit. The narrative opens with Henry’s secret affair with Sajani, a housemaid who is already married. In a secluded spot by a beautiful waterfall, their passionate rendezvous is innocently witnessed by two children, who flee the scene in shock. Meanwhile, Henry’s wife, Laura, and their son, Peter, return from a vacation in England, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding around them.

As time passes, Sajani’s marriage deteriorates as her husband uncovers her betrayal, subjecting her to brutal abuse. Plagued by guilt, Henry insists that T.K. take Sajani away to safety, warning her to never return to the village, as it could endanger his life. Although initially resistant, Sajani’s affection for Henry proves too strong; she eventually returns, despite the potential consequences.

When Henry cruelly rejects Sajani, despair overtakes her. In her anguish, she resorts to using T.K.’s handgun, a gift from Henry, and tragically takes her own life. In a frantic attempt to hide their misdeed, Henry and T.K. hastily dispose of her body in the river.

As the news of Sajani’s disappearance resonates throughout the village, speculation and suspicion run rampant. Her brother Manas and her husband mobilize the local men to search for her in the jungle, where they horrifyingly discover her body, shot with an English pistol. This revelation incites outrage, with Sajani’s husband leading a furious mob seeking revenge on T.K., the only person aware of the weapon’s whereabouts.

As the village council investigates the circumstances surrounding Sajani’s death, T.K. is compelled to speak the truth, while Laura uncovers the extent of Henry’s betrayal and his part in Sajani’s tragic fate. Devastated by the revelations, she decides to leave Henry and return to England with Peter, leaving Henry to face the aftermath of his choices alone.

As T.K.’s honor hangs by a thread, a tense trial ensues within the council, serving as a crucible that could either salvage his reputation or doom it forever. The elderly council members present T.K. with a harrowing ultimatum: to regain his good name, he must take Henry’s life, as he has inadvertently become complicit in a murder. However, fueled by a desire for justice, Sajani’s brother teams up with T.K. to hunt down Henry.

As T.K. grapples with his conscience, the climactic moment approaches, and he hesitates, finger poised on the trigger. Surprisingly, he chooses to reject violence, instead imparting a significant realization to Henry: that the concept of possession is an illusion, and in truth, all things belong to the collective society. The story concludes with the onset of the monsoon season, as relentless rain pours down, illuminating the resilience of T.K. and Henry’s rugged highway— a symbol of humanity’s perseverance amidst turmoil.