Shyama is an orphaned young woman who lives with her aunt, uncle and several cousins, two of who are girls of marriageable age. Her passion is dancing, which is frowned upon by her uncle and aunt. One day she, along with a young man named Gopal, go to see the dance by an international artiste named Veena. They ask Veena and her mentor, Dinanath, for help but are shunned and asked to leave. Crestfallen, she returns home and sleeps outside the door as it was very late. The next day her aunt finds out about her overnight excursion and beats her up severely, followed by another beating by her uncle. Humiliated, she decides to run away with Gopal to another town in order to learn dancing at the hands of well-known Guru Kishinchand Sharma. They do find Kishin, who initially rejects them, but relents when he witnesses Shyama abilities.
