 Shankar (Ashok Kumar), a handsome lawyer, moves into the Mahal-an old, dark and abandoned mansion with a tragic history. He notes his resemblance to a portrait of the former owner and soon afterwards is approached by the spirit of Kamini (Madhubala), the owner s mistress. She orders him to either die or marry her incarnation, a servant s daughter named Asha. Shankar soon becomes obsessed with the ghost-to the point where his worried friend Srinath (Kanu Roy) arranges for Shankar to marry the beautiful Ranjana (Vijayalakshmi). However, Shankar s obsession only intensifies after the wedding and he forces poor Ranjana to live in a vermin-infested shack. She soon commits suicide, accusing Shankar in her dying words, and soon he is arrested for her assumed murder. Later, Asha, now married to Srinath, reveals she had masqueraded as Kamini. However, a suicide note from Ranjana is found - and soon Shankar, still obsessed, is set free and on his way back to the Mahal...