Kusum witnesses Nimal leading a procession into their village. Kusum then recalls her childhood spent with friend Nimal. She is taught by the older boy. Kusum then starts boarding school with a transition to her at an older age. She gains a friend in Podmini who admires Kusum's innocence.

When Kusum visits home, she takes to helping out at the home of Nimal's mother, Mrs. Satharasinghe. On one such visit Nimal engages Kusum in a relationship. They fall in love though Kusum starts to feel guilty due to her lower class status. Soma is chosen to be part of a beauty contest and Kusum and Nimal take the chance to spend time together.

Mrs. Satharasinghe finds out about the encounter and confronts Kusum causing her to reveal her relationship with Nimal. Mrs. Satharasinghe scolds her and relieves her of her duties helping out at their home. Driven by guilt, Kusum breaks off all contact with Nimal. Soma, meanwhile, gets pregnant and is abandoned by the father. Kusum starts to take care of the child.

Nimal becomes a teacher at Kusum's school causing them to come in contact again. She tries to keep their encounters formal though at the prodding of Podmini takes some notes from him ahead of another girl. The girl bullies Kusum before Podmini comes to her rescue. Kusum then rejects Nimal's help.

The story then returns to the present with Nimal arriving at the village. Kusum reveals she failed to get into college and is now unemployed. She questions if this is her fate.