School teacher Madan Lal marries his daughter Usha with a bureaucrat Bhagirath with great hopes. But Usha finds that her husband not only suffers from tuberculosis, but also has issues related to failure in love and bad temperament.
Usha tries her best to adjust with her ill tempered husband, but Bhagirath keeps on scolding her. He even forces her for abortions and sends her to her parent's house.
Shaken by the sudden death of an affectionate elderly woman in her village, Usha returns to discover and face even more shocking situations. She now sees Bhagirath as an alcoholic man having extra-marital relationships.
Bhagirath's health improves under Usha's care, but when she herself falls sick, she is sent to her parent's home. Irritated by Bhagirath's indulgent life after her return, Usha leaves home. Informed by servant, Bhagirath's mother arrives.
At her mother's behest, Bhagirath brings Usha back. But she again leaves home when the mother and the son plan for Bhagirath's second marriage. Bhagirath tries to seduce his ex beloved Asha, but gets scolded by her.
Usha decides to move ahead in life and joins a college at Delhi. But a treachery by college mates makes her go astray in forbidden alleys of a lustful world. This leads to pathetic death of her parents and ignominious decay of the family.