A trapeze master, Binu, is part of a traveling circus in India in which he performs with his jinni, Shehzad. Although even the members of the circus think that Shehzad is a human and that their act is a work of stagecraft, Binu knows that he is really a jinni. The two are very close.

When the circus visits a royal family for a wedding, he sees a young woman, Savithri, dancing as part of a procession for the wedding. He learns that she is a courtesan who was bequeathed to the patron goddess of the kingdom at birth and whose job is to dance as an offering to the goddess. Later that night, after the circus performs, Savithri comes to find Binu and asks him to take her with the circus when they leave, so that she can live freely. She laments her lack of freedom as a courtesan, despite the seeming elegance of her life. Shehzad and Johuree, another member of the circus, advise Binu not to take her, as she is beholden to higher powers. Binu says that he must and promises to take all responsibility for her.

When the circus leaves the town, the circus caravan is met with a violent dust storm: some of their elephants blow away and their trucks are capsized. Johuree goes to Binu to tell him that this dust storm was caused by the patron goddess because they took Savithri with them. In following through with his early promise to assume responsibility for her, Binu offers himself up to the goddess as a sacrifice. She is unsatisfied and asks him for Shehzad. Although Binu maintains that Shehzad is not his to give, Shehzad offers himself to the goddess. Binu tries to strike a deal with the goddess, asking that both of them serve her for half of his remaining life. Because there is no one in her kingdom who knows the secrets of the jinni, she agrees to this deal.

Binu asks Johuree to tell his mother he is alive when the circus returns to his hometown and the two leave for their exile with the goddess.