Julie is an Anglo-Indian girl with a loving, but alcoholic father and a domineering mother, a younger brother and sister. She falls in love with her best friend's brother Shashi Bhattacharya, a Hindu boy, and she has a passionate encounter with him, which leaves her pregnant. He goes away to college, not knowing about her condition. Her mother is distraught when Julie tells her about the pregnancy. They don't tell the rest of the family. Her mother thinks about getting Julie an abortion, but a devout Christian talks her out of it. Julie is sent away to have her baby in secret. The rest of the family is told that Julie got a job. When she comes back home, she runs into her Hindu boyfriend and tells him everything. He agrees to marry her, but his mother objects to the mixed marriage, not knowing about the baby born in secret. Julie's mother doesn't want the marriage either, as she and the rest of the family want to go to England.—gavin@[email protected]

During the British rule in India several British citizens married Indians and their off-springs resulted in the creation of a new race, Anglo-Indians. One such family that lives in Shorandu, near Goa, is that of Morris, a driver of the Indian Railways, his wife, Margaret, two sons, Johnny and Jimmy, and two daughters, Julie and Irene. Morris is an alcoholic and his family fear that one day he may cause an accident by derailing the train. Julie is an attractive young woman, and there are several men who are attracted to her. One of them is Rahim, a store owner, who lets them buy groceries on credit, hoping to get married to Julie in return; then there is Richard who always hovers around Julie, hoping to win her heart. But Julie has given her heart to Shashi Bhattacharya, the son of Morris' boss, who lives with his devout Hindu mother and an unmarried sister, Usha. Shashi and Julie get intimate, and as a result Julie gets pregnant. She confides in her mother, who wants her to abort the child. She takes Julie to another town to her Aunt Ruby, but Ruby will not hear of aborting the child. As a result, Julie gives birth to a baby boy, and leaves him in an orphanage. During this time, Morris passes away, leaving the onus on Julie to make a living. Then Shashi returns home, meets with Julie, agrees to marry her immediately, talks to his mother, Devki, who does give her consent but first wants to meet with Julie. After the meeting, Julie departs, refuses to speak with Shashi. When Shashi goes to her home to talk to her, Margaret shuts the door in his face. What could have possibly gone wrong during the meeting between Devki and Julie?—rAjOo ([email protected])