Ganga, a college student from an 'orthodox' Tamil Brahmin family, has a sexual encounter with a stranger who offers her lift on a rainy day. Ganga is uncertain about her participation in the event. She, overcome by guilt and self-loathing, construes the event as rape. Her disillusioned face forces out a 'confession' to her mother about what happened earlier. Overhearing this, Ganga's brother, who's the 'bread' winner of the family, disowns and evicts her from the house (in Sri Rangam). She then moves in with her uncle—mother's elder brother in Madras—who assures full support in continuing her education. After successful graduation she gets employed in a private firm and grows to take the top managerial position. Ganga until then lives a single life resisting the pressure to lie about the 'incident' (which, presumably, would ruin her life with another man). Her assumed status as a 'spoilt' woman also implicitly encourages her lecherous uncle to make sexual advances.
It is during this time she chances up on the 'stranger', Prabhu. She musters up the courage to introduce herself as who 'she really is' and get Prabhu to discuss about 'that' fateful evening. She then realizes that she probably showed as much interest in the sex as did Prabhu. The revelation brings Ganga closer to Prabhu as friends. They find their characteristics agreeable and the friendship matures into love. But unable to transcend the society's norms, Prabhu advices her to get married to someone else. When all attempts to convince Prabhu fails, Ganga is forced to part ways with him. The film ends with a note appreciation for her 'purity' and self-induced monogamous relationship with Prabhu.