Jagan loses himself in his copy of the Bhagavad Gita as the colourful sweetmeats cook in the kitchen. Jagan, a widower with strong Gandhian principles, has a warm and ashamed attachment for his wastrel son Mali. However, when Mali arrives in the peaceful city of Malgudi with a new half-American wife and a huge scheme to sell novel-writing machines, even Jagan's tolerance starts to wear thin. Father and son are obliged to interact with one another and are surprised by it because they are from different generations and cultures.