It is the Eve before Independence in India. The Tamil people, a small village on the hillside far from the main city, prepare to celebrate and question what it will mean to now have an Indian Prime Minister. The collective "we," which symbolizes the voices of the elder women in the society, tells of the class-struggle and economic strife of the hillside behind the imagery of feasts and festive games. They focus on a young boy named Selvakumar, who is soft spoken and curious, traits that make him a favorite of the elder women of the society. He is also the unlikely friend to Muthu, the son of Mr. Balakumar, the highest Tamil earner on the hillside. The celebration is cut short by a disastrous storm which destroys the houses on the hillside and leaves many of the people injured. In the morning, no one can find Selvakumar. After anxiously searching through the wreckage, it is revealed that Selvakumar has robbed Muthu for his father's money and escaped to the big city. Mr. Balakumar is also found dead, presumably murdered by Selvakumar.