Young Malati and her mother, Purna, move to her uncle's house in Vizag when Malati's father dies in a scooter accident. There she meets and falls in love with her cousin, Bhaskar, a medical student. Bhaskar's mother, Lalita, disapproves of the relationship, and when she learns Malati has a secret, insists the girl and her mother leave town immediately. Unaware of his mother's demands, Bhaskar is left bewildered and brokenhearted. But Malati never forgets her first true love, Bhaskar, and he never forgets her. Unaware of Malati's secret and his mother's schemes to keep them apart, Bhaskar longs to one day find Malati again - before it's too late. Prema Balam was written by Kamaraju Susila and was first published in 1983 in the Telugu language. The timeless love story is lovingly translated by Susila's daughter, Uma Eachempati.