Helen (Louise Brealey), a reserved, gentle woman, is slowly collapsing under the weight of her inexplicable life. She lives with her torpid husband and his much younger girlfriend (and their new colicky baby), working nights at the local chicken processing plant. There are two things that keep her hanging on: music, and her dear elderly mother-in-law Gwen (Sorcha Cusack), whom she cares for. This dismal state of affairs is interrupted when Joanne (Annabel Scholey), a former neighbour (and Helen’s schoolgirl crush), arrives back in town after her father’s death. His house holds difficult childhood memories for Joanne, of events that many on the street remember, but since she’s been away, she’s become unapologetic in facing down the small-town malice that’s slung at her. What begins as a casual meeting between the two women swiftly turns to friendship and then to love. Joanne is beguiled by Helen’s sweet naiveté, and Helen is in awe of Joanne’s courage and confidence. Their burgeoning relationship is threatened when Helen’s home life is further upended, accompanied by turbulence within the tight-knit group of women who work with her on the factory floor. Soon, Helen and Joanne each face a difficult, perhaps impossible, emotional choice about their futures.

Aravind, a high school teacher, wants to transition from male to female while working for a school in a small town in South India. Aravind’s parents do not know that Aravind is already taking hormone treatment for the transition. When his parents force a marriage upon him due to their financial situation, Aravind gains courage under pressure. He starts to live as a woman named Bhanu with his friend Haritha's help. The school administration creates problems by not acknowledging Bhanu as a woman. As Bhanu struggles to find happiness after transition, she meets a student Karthik who is being bullied by his classmates for his feminine demeanor. Unable to withstand the bullying, Karthik retaliates by wearing makeup and nail polish to school. The school administration blames Bhanu for all the problems. How Karthik and Bhanu deal with the problems form the rest of the story.