Based on a story by the celebrated writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, Monchora weaves together Dibakar and Nanda in a careful, character-driven drama that circles around a single, potent heirloom. At the heart of the tale lies the Surjo moni, a deep red ruby worshipped as a god within the family, its gleam carrying reverence, fear, and a whisper of danger. The house is anchored by an elderly man, Mr. Chowdhury, whose fascination with astrology colors every decision, and by his grandson Manmatha, a reckless, free-spirited bachelor who moves through life with a swagger and is entangled in a rumored affair with the con woman Lily. The tension between duty and desire threads through their days as the family contends with shifting loyalties and the lure of the sunstone.
One night, [Manmatha] returns late, and a thief clad in black slips into the shadows, vanishing as quickly as he arrives. The household hurries into action, with the loyal servant and [Nanda] playing key roles to restore calm, and a startling moment when the thief appears in Nanda’s own room raises the stakes. The intruder speaks of hunger and a life lived on the edge, hinting at a fragile path to earning a living beyond crime. Despite the fear, Nanda and the servant work together to steer the situation toward a safer course, and the intruder’s desperation tugs at the family's sense of mercy.
Seeing an opportunity for reform, Nanda convinces the mysterious thief to return the next day and to consider a more respectable path, even proposing that he could become the secretary to Mr. Chowdhury. The thief does return the following morning and, through a mix of charm and quick study, secures the job. He gradually earns the elder man’s trust and, in the process, becomes entwined with Nanda’s world, all while continuing to learn about the Surjo moni and its sacred status in the home. Yet Nanda remains wary, repeatedly cautioning him to keep his hands off that precious gem.
As trust grows, Mr. Chowdhury gifts Nanda a golden necklace to celebrate, a gesture that triggers more trouble when [Manmatha] steals it and hands it to Lily. When the necklace goes missing, Nanda’s suspicion briefly falls on the quiet newcomer, and Dibakar steps in to prove his integrity by returning the item and defending his emerging place in the family. After this tense misunderstanding, Mr. Chowdhury’s confidence in Dibakar solidifies, and he begins to hope that Nanda’s heart might be drawn toward the man who has earned the family’s trust. Yet he also predicts a difficult stretch ahead, remarking that Nanda’s marriage prospects may be limited for the next three years.
A police report later confirms that the thief’s clever, solitary pattern has left the household on edge, and Nanda confronts Dibakar to hear his side. He admits a lifelong attraction to stealing, but insists that his motives shifted once he grew attached to the family—and especially to Nanda itself. The revelation deepens the emotional complexity of the story, complicating loyalties and choices.
Meanwhile Lily presses Manmatha to bring the Surjo moni to her, promising an escape in which they would run away together. Nanda uncovers Lily’s true intentions and tails Manmatha to Lily’s place, where a tense confrontation unfolds. There, two intruders already linger, and the plan spirals into danger as Manmatha is knocked unconscious and the sunstone is seized. At the critical moment, Dibakar bursts in, seizes Lily and her accomplices, and summons Nanda to join her grandfather for what remains of the night’s unraveling. He also asks Manmatha to pretend to be part of Lily’s alliance, a ruse that leads to a dramatic arrival of the police and Manmatha’s arrest. Mr. Chowdhury is slow to be convinced of the thief’s guilt, clinging to doubt even as the evidence piles up.
The morning after these revelations, [Nanda] and [Manmatha] rekindle their connection and prepare to visit Dibakar, now a focal point of the family’s hopes and fears. The newspaper delivers a stark update: the thief Dibakar is slated for a three-year jail term, a fact that shocks the household and alters their sense of the road ahead. When the elder man asks where they are headed, the couple answers that they are going to meet a special friend, prompting the grandfather to offer a final, guarded line—suggesting that [Nanda] will marry that very friend after three years. In the end, loyalty, love, and the lure of the Surjo moni collide, leaving the family to face an uncertain future while clinging to a fragile, hopeful promise.
