A girl from the Untouchable caste is adopted by an upper-caste family, and does not learn of her background. This proves problematic when she grows up and falls in love with an upper-caste man, who is in love with her as well.

Two men take shelter in a derelict mansion situated in the countryside during a storm. One of the men suddenly becomes aware that he once visited this mansion in a past life; he recounts a story about when he was Anand, a painter, who fell in love with a tribal girl named Madhumati.

Nilambhar Chakravorty belongs to a poor family, and lives in a joint family with his married brother, Pitambar, unmarried sister, Punnu, and wife, Biraj. Since his sister is of marriageable age, he arranges her marriage, and borrows some money. When Pitambar comes to know about this, he refuses to share any expense in his sister's marriage, and decides to separate, resulting in a fence being put up between their homes. Nilambher, unable to find employment, is unable to pay back the loan, and soon both he and his wife barely have enough to live on. To complicate matters further, Deodhar, a wealthy young contractor has his eye on Biraj's beauty and would like to be intimate with her, in return for money and a better life.

In Calcutta at the turn of the century, two families (one wealthier than the other but both belonging to the same caste) live in adjoining properties. Their respective patriarchs fall out over the repayment of a loan and the intervention of a member of a lower caste in the families' financial arrangements. The rift causes much heartache to the younger members of the families, two of whom have secretly plighted their troth to each other.

The story follows a kind-hearted girl who marries a simple man in her family, but misunderstandings arise, and she defends her family and husband, leading to consequences.