Low-caste Nathu becomes a proud father of a son, and is asked to fetch some water to clean the child. When he goes to the well, he finds it dry, and goes on to a private pond, owned by Zamindar Jaimal Singh. In Jaimal's house too there is merry-making as his wife has given birth to a baby boy as well, and preparations are made to name the child. When Jaimal finds out that Nathu has polluted the water, he takes his men and severely beats up Nathu, leaving his crippled, and sets fire to the entire village. Nathu loses his son, and is unable to locate his pregnant wife. Angered at this injustice, he abducts Jaimal's son, and disappears into the night. Years later, crippled Nathu has nurtured Jaimal's son, named him Shera, and has taught him how to be a thief. Shera has learned well, but is apprehended and arrested by the police and sent to jail.