Fire

The film opens with a young Radha in a mustard field, sitting with her parents as her mother tells a tale about a person who wanted to see the ocean. Radha admits she does not understand the moral of the story yet, hinting at a larger question about desire. This opening frames themes of longing and the difficulty of grasping moral lessons in childhood.

The narrative then shifts to Sita on her honeymoon with Jatin, who remains emotionally distant and unengaged. Jatin continues to date his modern girlfriend, revealing a loveless marriage for Sita. She feels isolated and yearns for a way to break free.

Sita enters a bustling joint-family world in which Jatin lives with his elder brother Ashok, sister-in-law Radha, their paralysed mother Biji, and Mundu, the faithful servant. The family runs a small store that sells food and rents videotapes, a modest yet crowded existence. Sita navigates this environment while her own needs go unmet.

Biji is immobile and speechless after a stroke, forcing Sita and Radha to attend to her day and night. Sita spends long hours in a hot kitchen, while Jatin is out with his girlfriend, leaving the two sisters-in-law to shoulder the caregiving burden. The exhausting routine deepens Sita's feeling of being trapped.

Many years earlier, Ashok falls under the influence of Swamiji, a local preacher who teaches that desires cause suffering and must be suppressed. He donates large sums to treat Swamiji’s hydrocele, showing his devotion. Swamiji proclaims that sexual contact is permissible only for procreation, a rule that begins to govern Ashok’s behavior toward Radha.

To prove his self-control, Ashok imposes a stark ritual in which he lies motionless beside Radha, testing his resolve. Radha endures guilt and the sense of deprivation as years of desire go unaddressed. The ritual drains warmth from their relationship and hardens the distance between them.

Meanwhile, the younger Sita refuses to accept her fate and her defiant stance starts to influence Radha. Radha, once subservient, begins to question the family’s strict codes that have kept her silent. The sisters-in-law grow closer as they explore new possibilities together.

Desperation and mutual need drive Radha and Sita into a secret, growing romance. They seek solace in each other and nurture a bond that becomes the core of their lives, despite the risk of discovery. Their daily life takes on a new, illicit energy as they navigate their concealment.

Mundu becomes aware of the affair and informs Ashok, triggering a powerful confrontation. Ashok is horrified by what he discovers, yet a dormant longing surfaces within him as well. The revelation shatters any illusion of perfect control over the household.

Sita decides to pack her belongings and leave the house, seeking freedom from her loveless marriage. Radha stays behind to talk to Ashok, hoping to express her own feelings and plan a future. The women promise to meet again that night, clinging to a fragile hope of escape.

During the confrontation, Radha pours out years of suppressed emotion and finally speaks her truth. In the heat of the argument, Radha’s sari catches fire, and Ashok watches without moving to help. The moment becomes a brutal turning point that redefines Radha’s desire as a source of strength.

Radha extinguishes the flames and recalls her mother's advice about the ocean, realizing she can claim a life of her own. The incident marks a personal awakening and a resolve to reclaim her life from years of subjugation. She sees an inner ocean where desire can exist without shame.

An injured Radha leaves Ashok, determined to join Sita and start anew. She carries the trauma of the confrontation but also a newly found sense of agency. Her departure signals the final break from the cycles of subservience that defined her life.

Radha reaches Sita and the two women unite in their plan to move forward together. They support each other emotionally as they seek a life beyond the oppressive structure they endured. The story ends on a hopeful note, with the promise of a new beginning despite an uncertain future.