Manithan Vaanam

After Bhavannan's thyaagam, the party spends the next ten days in grief. Aadhi's burn wounds are tended to, yet stay permanent; Haavani confines herself to the Veyil, and Shwari makes two paintings of Bhavannan, one for Marathan and his family and the other for the Koyil. The day of the memorial arrives, and people on the streets draw sun rangolis all throughout Marthandam. Glowing flowers are placed alongside them and candles are lit as the sun sets. The group heads to the town square and meets Anjan; the four of them join together to meet Marathan and his family. They stand upon a stage and the assembly of the audience, which takes only a few minutes. After the crowd settles into the square, Marathan gives a speech about Bhavannan's childhood and how proud he is of the grown man that Bhavannan has become. After that, each of the remaining members give speeches on how much they respected Bhavannan and that he will not be forgotten. As the speeches conclude, the audience releases glowing lights into the air, small suns colliding with the night sky. The moment stands still before people depart slowly and Shwari gifts the Marathan family her portrait of Bhavannan, causing the mother to tear up. They say their farewells to the family and Anjan, and, as they descend off the stage, Maghu catches them and explains that he needs to talk to the group at Veyil Koyil. They all depart to the temple, leaving the glowing city of Marthandam behind.

Once they reach the Koyil, they seek out the library; Maghu wanted peace and quiet for the conversation. He explains his plan to travel back to the Odagam Kingdom the next morning due to a seismic shift in the air. The party questions his vagueness, prompting him to reveal that the Kadavuls have gone vanishingly silent. The party discusses the ramifications of this as Haavani and Shwari find that Maghu's statement is true. Maghu explains that the Odagam's conflict with the Naagarai Kingdom might elevate, since the Naagas heavily depend on their monarch Pambai, who acts as the voice of snake-Kadavul Nagamma. He invites Shwari to go with him and then excuses himself to go sleep. The others discuss the topic further but head to bed before long, the day having emotionally exhausted the three.

Early the next morning, as Haavani is going on her daily walk through the gardens of the Koyil, she stumbles upon something rather strange: a hedge maze. She immediately goes to find Aadhi, and, as she explains the situation, Aadhi excitedly explains the group's past interaction with the maze. They run to find Shwari. Shwari had been seeking out Thalaivi Veyyoni and gifts her a painting of Bhavannan as well. Veyyoni thanks Shwari sincerely but does not know where to put the painting, though she insists that she shall find a way. As Shwari leaves the confessional room, the other two run into her and fill Shwari in on the surprise. They immediately make for the garden and enter the maze, wending through the twists and turns laid out in front of them. The first riddle appears etched into a dead end, the carvings into the hedge leaves reading: "A scowling face marred dark / However eyes have been opened, completing her arc / Where she is now, only I know / For her and the shadows roam the lands, letting her manthiram and curse grow." The party surmises that this must describing Nila's conclusion, and a wall opens for them to carry on. The next riddle reads: "The twinkling has dimmed, replaced with a quiet stillness / For the raatchi that lived within her has been destroyed, creating an emptyness / Her heart shall have time to heal now / For the peaceful life calls to her, I can certainly avow." Aadhi excitedly points out that the riddle is about her and delights in the future that is read for her. As they continue, the next riddle pops up and reads: "Brave on the outside, and perhaps brave on the inside as well / She has finally escaped the chains, and made a name for herself, a name she can proudly tell / What she will do now only she can say / Carry on the path of Dhara, or maybe have the winds lead her astray." The party immediately recognizes the riddle for Shwari, and Shwari is surprised by the future freedom the riddle gives her. They move on, and the next riddle reads "Veyyon's disciple, I must say hello to / For she has not heard of me, but I know her, so I must make an impressive debut / Veyyon speaks highly of her, and I see a prominent future ahead, one of many great deeds, fortunate friends, and sadly, that cursed, foggy red." Haavani solemnly accepts the riddle, which entails her future responsibilities dealing with the megham. The last personalized riddle appears after a few more twists and turns, and reads: "A smiling fool he shall become again / Same golden heart lives on, which I made sure with my pen / The sacrifice made shall be heard for time immemorial / And he will live in your hearts, with a sense somber yet jovial." The three stop for a moment and mourn Bhavannan once more, but are glad to hear that he is on to the next life: a better life, even. With a few more turns, they reach the center of the maze, where a door and a table stand. On the table, a dried palm leaf is written upon, reading:

The three stand in silence as they realize the deific presence that has watched them from the very beginning. As the shock wears off, they walk through the door, letting themselves be transported wherever Mun Mugham takes them. After a few seconds, the group materializes outside a familiar sight: the farmhouse of Gambidevi and Maarya. They rush towards the house and find the couple sitting upon the steps, awaiting them. The twins embrace the elders and Haavani introduces themselves to the couple. The five catch up and then separate, spending the rest of the day rejoining with their yaans at the yaan stable. The day is spent in joy playing with their respective yaans, and dinner comes around soon. The group walks toward the kitchen and finds that Maarya has cooked everyone masala dosas, a chili chutney, and paayusam for dinner. The dinner is spent eating and talking, joy enveloping the people sitting within the kitchen, a hope placed within everyone for the future.