This book was the first in series of books written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya and published in 1913. Surendra, despite being born in a rich family, runs away from home to Kolkata. Loss of identity in a strange unknown place and severe financial crunch leads him to beg for survival. He finally seeks shelter as a teacher in a zamindar's house, where the zamindar's daughter is a young widow. It was an era when society looked down upon widows and exploited and mistreated them. They had to live a life of an ascetic, bereft of normal wants or pleasures. An unspoken emotional bond develops between the widow 'Borodidi' and Surendra. These emotions, innocence, and love transcend all physical barriers and is palpable in the author's writings, even after a hundred years have lapsed.