The plot revolves around the life of an Indian printer named Nataraj, who lives in a huge ancestral house in Malgudi, a fictional town in south India.

He leads a contented lifestyle, with a circle of friends, including a poet, a journalist named Sen, and his sole employee, Sastri.

Although Nataraj is unsure whether Vasu is a friend or an enemy, he dislikes his company due to his brazen behaviour.

As the story continues, Vasu encroaches on Nataraj's life, bullies away his friends and customers, shoots someone's pet dog and many other animals and birds near the residence, poaches wildlife from the Mempi hills, and creates a stench in the neighborhood through his taxidermy.

Nataraj’s poet friend holds a commemorative function for the release of a book of poetry on Krishna.