In Act One of the book, the main character is introduced. This is Vasavadatta who is the Queen of the Vastas, and the wife to Udayana who is the reigning king. She is in hiding and is being aided by Yaugandarayana who is a chief minister in the government of Vastas. The queen and the chief minister are at a hermitage where several people visit them. These include the Princess Padmavatti, a student of theology and some hermits. The queen and the minister are in disguise and their guests do not know who they are. The student of theology brings in news that the Queen Vasavadatta has died. The villagers and the king believe that the queen and the chief minister had been burnt alive.
In Act Two of the book, the Queen Vasadatta who had been left in the care of Princess Padmavatti lives with the princess at the home of the princess. There the princess reveals that she has great love for the King Udayana whose wife had died. The King comes to the palace and is engaged to Padmavatti. This greatly angers and fills Vasavadatta with sorrow.
In Act Three of the book, Vasadatta, Padmavatti and the groom who is the King Udayana prepare for the royal wedding and they do indeed get married. Vasadatta lives in disguise in the palace as Lady Avanti.
In Act Four, the wedding had ended and Padmavatti and Udayana are legally man and wife. Padmavatti and Vasavadatta eavesdrop on the king and his jester as they talk about Vasavadatta. The king reveals to his servant that even though his first wife Vasavadatta was dead, he still greatly loved her.
In Act Five, there is a coincidental situation. This happens when the king is informed that his wife Padmavatti was ill and was lying in a room. He went to the room and found that she was not there and he lies down in the room. Vasadatta who had accompanied Padmavatti to the palace of Udayana is also told that Padmavatti is ill and she goes to see her. The king and Vasavadatta meet and after the king leaves the room, he is convinced that it was a dream and that Vasavadatta was dead.
In the last act, the family of Vasadatta send portraits of her to Udayana. The new queen Padmavatti sees them and tells the king that the woman in the portraits was her friend the Lady Avanti. At the same time, Yaugandarayana comes to the palace to get the Lady Avanti who he claims is his sister. The king realizes that Yaugandarayana is his chief minister who had also supposedly died, and that the Lady Avanti is his beloved wife Vasadatta.
