A young woman, betrayed by her so-called lover, is left stunned and grieving. She is taken to Puri by four widowed aunts in the hope that the change will restore her to her normal self. On the train, the party befriends a writer also bound for Puri-by-the-sea. This young man goes on the move whenever he feels life’s growing dull or monotonous.
The writer continues to stay in close contact with them after reaching Puri. At first they shelter in the same dharamsala (rest-house) and later, when he shifts to a hotel, the beach becomes their regular meeting place. The widows treat the writer with great warmth and, as a virtual member of their family, he learns of the young woman’s misadventure.
