 Childless Malti is married to a honest man, Kailash Nath, who one day brings home a newborn baby boy and asks her to take care of him. Malti names the boy Ashok, and brings him up as her very own. Thereafter she gives birth to two boys, Amar and Anand. When Kailash testifies against dreaded bandit & devil worshiper, Jabbar Singh, he is threatened with death. Jabbar is sentenced to be hanged, but before that could happen he is killed. Jabbar s son, Sheroo, avenges his father s death by killing Kailash. Sheroo is arrested by Kailash s friend, Inspector Om, and sentenced to 20 years. A dying Kailash informs Malti that Ashok is Devki s, his first wife s son, and makes her promise that she wil continue to love Ashok as her own, which she does, and Kailash passes away. When she returns home she finds out that Amar is missing, possibly drowned. She blames this on Ashok and starts hating him. Sheroo escapes from prison, abducts Inspector Om and holds him prisoner, whipping him regularly. Years later Ashok has grown up, receiving nothing but hatred from Malti; Amar is still missing, while Anand has fallen into bad company and frequents a prostitute by the name of Rekha. Then a shady underworld figure named Ranjeet is killed and the police arrest Anand and hold him in prison. This news shatters Malti, first the death of her husband; then she is told that she is his second love; then Amar goes missing believed to be dead; and finally Anand - who may face the death sentence. And all Malti is left with is Ashok - the one she hates the most.