After being bullied into making iron wheels for his upper-caste peers, Bhyal (12), a lower caste blacksmith, and his friend Laba (11) are compelled to steal iron from the village to make the wheels. At Bhyal workshop, the boys work through the night and fall asleep. Laba's father finds his son asleep with Bhyal. Outraged at this sight, he calls the village religious chief to purify his son. With the entire village gathered, the village chief purifies Laba and passes judgment on Bhyal.