A palace intrigue results in the favorite son of King Virabhuja going out of the palace grounds in search of a golden arrow. The Young prince, Shringabhuja, encounters a beautiful girl, Rupashikha, who decides to help him. Rupashikha turns out to be a Rakshi (a female demon), albeit a good one; but the young pair have to deal with her father who is as a raksha (a male demon), full of evil designs. The plot thickens as Somadeva weaves a story round the hero and heroine, keeping the reader guessing, enthralled and moving in and out of two worlds – the world of men and the world of Rakshas.