Honest Munshi Dayanath works in the administrative office of the Allahabad High Court in 1928 British India, and lives an impoverished lifestyle along with his wife, a grown slacker son, Ramanath, and two younger sons. Without knowing Ramanath's background, Munshi Dindayal arranges his daughter, Jalpa's marriage, and she moves in with this family. Unable to pay jeweler Gangaram for jewelry purchased for this wedding, Ramanath steals his wife's jewelry, and then gets in debt when he gets her a Chandrahaar. In order to pay for this, he works as a Clerk, collecting money for the regime as well as accepting bribes. Circumstances compel him to embezzle Rs.800/- which he is unable to return. Afraid of being arrested, he flees to Calcutta, gets embroiled indirectly in the freedom struggle, gets arrested and will only be set free if he testifies against non-violent freedom-fighters.