Aretino Scott is a Foreign Scholar at Bharat University, but he is unable to pursue his research due to the beggars' weekly visits. They pound at his door and refuse to leave until they have been given something: coins, possessions, or food. All the Foreign Scholars are at a loss - they do not know how to turn away the beggars, who prove themselves to be both patient and forceful as they 'besiege' the building. At last, Scott determines the manner in which he will deal with the beggars. Every week, the Foreign Scholars pool their money together, amounting to a total of ten annas that they are willing to give to the beggars in exchange for peace of mind. Scott makes himself the 'mouthpiece' of the Foreign Scholars and makes a proposal to the crowd: in exchange for five minutes of work, he promises to distribute the money amongst them. He wants to seem as though he tolerates their presence, but he is in fact covering up his fear of them and his hatred of their station in life. Moreover, this proposition is met with shock, but eventually the beggars go along with it for the sake of the money. The work is finished quickly, and Scott upholds his end of the promise. This success invites the ire of his colleagues but also ignites a passion within Scott for developing his 'Plan' for the 'Rehabilitation of the Beggar.' He neglects his research and works on this plan tirelessly, taking his proposal to countless Indian businessmen to gain financial support. Unfortunately, superstition and established social convention prevent them from wanting to invest in this venture, so Scott sets his hopes on the arrival of the Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru is scheduled to meet the Foreign Scholars as a part of his visit to the university, and Scott intends to show his proposal to the 'great man' at this meeting. However, he is distracted by the presence of three familiar beggars outside his house, who explain that everyone else has gone to see Nehru, but they chose to come here instead and see the man that chose to treat them as equals. Some emotion inside him is triggered by this loyalty, and he sees a civility in them that he had not seen before. Ultimately, Scott mingles with the crowd that lines the street, cheering at the sight of Nehru's car, but he stands with 'his' beggars, briefly making eye contact with Nehru before the car moves on. This missed connection changes everything. Scott chooses to go home, and he thinks almost fondly about the next Friday on which the beggars will visit him.