The initial parts of the drama takes place sometime before 1302 AD. Princess Padmavati is the daughter of the King Ratnasen of Singhaldweep. She falls in love with Rana Ratan Singh, the heir to the throne of Chittod, Rajputana who comes to Singhaldweep after seeing a painting of her in his palace made by Chittod's painter / musician Raghav Chetan. He wins the princess's marriage contest, defeating warrior Padam Singh (which is actually Padmavati in disguise) in a sword fight and asking her to marry him, without the permission of his own parents. After much debate, Padmavati and Ratan Singh are wed together with the blessings of Padmavati's parents and all of Singhaldweep. Padmavati is permanently renamed "Padmini" by her husband, Ratan Singh, who then leave for Chittod along with a royal procession.
In Chittod, Princess Naagmati, Ratan Singh's first wife and his child, Yashovardhan's mother, opposes this second marriage and Padmini's entry in the royal palace. She appeals to the Queen of Chittod, her mother-in-law and former rival, to protest against her husband's adultery persuading her to forget their own quarrels and join hands together to "destroy" Padmini. On his wedding night, Naagmati forever forbids her husband to go to Padmini's palace after dusk and thereby stopping him from loving Rani
Padmini, in exchange for letting him see his son. Under pretenses of "Chittod's long-lasting palace traditions," Naagmati organizes various contests against Padmini, only to lose each time.
Parallel to this story is the tale of North India's then ruler Sultan Ala-ud-din Khalji, usurper of his uncle's throne through deceit and murder, who is now intent on conquering Rajputana and its kingdoms (including Chittod).
