The novel begins with Jagan talking to his “cousin,” a man who claims kinship with Jagan despite a lack of true clarity surrounding the matter. They live in the small Indian town of Malgudi. The two discuss various philosophical and everyday matters as Jagan gets ready to go home. They continue talking and part ways and Jagan eventually arrives home. The chapter concludes with Jagan looking at a box of cash that he has saved in a drawer as he feels content about his life and prospects.
After some reflection, Jagan returns home and talks with his son Mali. Mali appears disturbed and Jagan cannot figure out why. He talks to his cousin about the frustration and disillusionment that Mali has been displaying. They talk about his father’s job and Mali appears reviled by the notion of monotonous daily work. Mali tells him he has grown tired of his schoolwork and wants to become a writer. He describes his plan to enter a local novel-writing contest. His father agrees to support him in this goal. It is revealed that Jagan's wife, Mali's mother, died from a brain tumor and Jagan has done his best to care for Mali as much as possible.
Mali becomes very distant from Jagan in this period and Jagan is too nervous about upsetting him to request any updates about the progress of his work. Jagan talks to his cousin, seeking information about Mali's writing and learns that Mali has said that he must go to America in order to truly become a real writer. He also learns that Mali has been taking money from him, as he knows where he keeps his savings stashed. He is not upset by this information and agrees to support him financially in his journey. Mali departs for America.
Mali writes to Jagan frequently with updates about his time in America. Jagan gets excited every time a letter comes in the mail, reading and rereading them more frequently than he reads the Bhagavad Gita. Eventually, Mali returns to India. He is constantly critical of the country, saying he believes it is backwards and slow, hurting Jagan a great deal. He also brings Grace, a half-American/half-Korean woman whom he claims is wife. He also says that he now eats beef, which goes directly against one of the most important tenets of the Hindu faith. Jagan is shocked by all of this change and struggles with this new information.
Mali tells his father he has something of great urgency to discuss with him. Jagan agrees to talk with him, but is so excited that he is home that he does not listen closely. Later, after clarifying with his cousin, Jagan learns that Mali intends to open a factory that manufactures story-writing machines. His son says that he needs a loan from Jagan in order to get the business off the ground. Jagan hedges his answers as Mali and Grace both pursue him relentlessly about the matter. Eventually Jagan makes it apparent that he will not give Mali the loan, but offers him his sweetmeat business, an offer that Mali harshly rejects.
Later Jagan meets a bearded man, who asks for his assistance making a sculpture of the goddess Gayatri. Jagan travels to the quiet spot where he works. Jagan admires the serenity of the artist's solitary life and makes him reconsider his life and goals. He decides to become the artist patron and renounce most of his work and material wealth. This decision shocks many of the people in the town, but he remains steadfast in his decision, finding peace in this rejection of money and worldly possessions.
Later, Jagan learns that his son has separated from Grace and that he was never married to her in the first place. This fact fills him with shame, as it means they have been living together out of wedlock. He then reflects on his marriage for a lengthy period of time, recalling his happy courtship of his wife and the joyous day of Mali's birth.
The novel ends with Jagan learning that his son has been arrested for public drunkenness. Jagan talks to his cousin about this matter and shocks him with his response. He tells him to take over his sweetmeat business and that Mali would do well to spend some time in jail, as it might teach him some discipline. He also says, out of affection for her, that should Grace ever want to return home to her family, he will happily pay for it.
