Paheli

Lachchi, a young village girl, travels to her in-laws with Kishanlal. They stop at a dharamshala rumored to host 128 ghosts. A ghost senses Lachchi's beauty, follows her, and she feels a chilling presence that makes her fearfully uneasy.

On their marriage night, Kishanlal reveals that he must depart the next day to honor his father's wish and begin a distant business venture. The news shocks Lachchi, who feels torn between love and separation. Her aunt Gajrobai offers quiet consolation.

Kishanlal leaves early the following morning for Jamnagar to begin the long business trip. Lachchi is devastated by the separation, while Gajrobai consoles her, recalling her own family troubles.

During Kishanlal's journey, the ghost appears in human form at a watering hole to speak with him about the voyage. The spirit explains he has a special boon and will receive five gold coins every morning for the rest of his life.

The ghost, having taken Kishanlal's shape and voice, returns to Bhanwarlal's house and convinces him that Kishanlal has come back. Bhanwarlal forgets past concerns and accepts the man as his son-in-law.

That night, the ghost reveals his true identity to Lachchi. She is drawn to this confident, magical version of Kishanlal and begins living with him as her husband in his ghostly form.

As Kishanlal, now in ghost form, bonds with the real Kishanlal's family, Bhoja the servant grows perplexed by the strange letters and visits. He travels to Jamnagar to confront the real Kishanlal and understand the strange situation.

The ghost urges a camel race to restore the family's honour, arguing it could coax Sunderlal back home. The ghost uses magic to confuse the other camels and helps the house camels win, reviving the pride of the family.

Two years after Kishanlal's departure, the real husband attempts to send a message home through Bhoja, but Bhoja's wife burns the letter, still nursing resentment from the earlier insult. The attempt to reconnect is thwarted.

Lachchi and the ghost live blissfully for four years, and Lachchi becomes pregnant with the ghost's child, Lunima. The family remains divided about the true nature of the relationship.

The real Kishanlal returns, shocked to find the ghost occupying his body. The family struggles to determine who is the real Kishanlal as social pressures from the Thakurs mount to reveal the truth and settle the dispute.

On the road to the raja, Gadariya the shepherd appears and sets three tests to prove the real Kishanlal: lift hot coals, gather his sheep in time, and enter a water bottle. The tests are designed to distinguish true lineage from impostor.

Kishanlal cannot perform the first two feats, but when Gadariya calls for the real lover of Lachchi, the ghost performs the third feat by entering the water bottle, proving his love. Gadariya quickly seals the bottle to trap him, ensuring a fair test.

The real Kishanlal discards the bottle, but it is revealed that the ghost had already escaped and possessed Kishanlal's body to stay with Lachchi. Lachchi discovers the truth and chooses to live with both her real husband and the ghost in the same body, closing the tale with an unusual harmony.