Aru Shah lives in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta with her mother.  Aru Shah fabricates information she shares with her peers to try to fit in.  When three of her classmates visit Aru Shah at the museum to catch her in a lie, Aru shows them the ancient, cursed Lamp of Bharata.  Even though her mother has warned her to never light the lamp, to impress the visiting trio, Aru lights the lamp. Lighting the lamp releases the ancient demon, the Sleeper, who has been trapped in the lamp for centuries.  The Sleeper freezes time and sets out to destroy the world.  It is up to Aru to find away to stop the destructive Sleeper, and return the world to the way it was.