Devdas falls in love with Parvati, with whom he has played since childhood and who is the daughter of a poor neighbouring family.

Though she loves Devdas, she obeys her father to suffer in silence like a dutiful Indian wife of those times.

Chandramukhi, a dancing girl or courtesan (tawaif) he has befriended in Calcutta, falls for him and gives up her profession to try to save him.

Grief-stricken at this news, Parvati attempts to run out of her house, in order to pay a last visit to his beloved.

But her husband orders the main gate to be closed, as it was a social taboo at that time, not to let women step out of the periphery of their in-laws' residence.