 Mahalakshmi was found and adopted by a Christian couple, Mr. and Mrs. Paul, who named her Mary. Having completed her graduation, Mary looks for employment to clear her family's financial problems. She accepted a loan from I. P. David who proposes that if she marries him, he would preclude the debt. Her ex-colleague M. T. Rao, another graduate, is searching for a solution to his financial problems. They decide that if they were to act as a married couple, they could apply for the jobs offered by Gopalam and intend to clear their debts. Devaiah, a conman and a beggar, befriends them. He is persuaded by Rao to accompany them to Appapuram. They find accommodation in a small house which is behind Gopalam's bungalow. Mary decides to call herself Mahalakshmi, unaware of her true identity.
