Summaries

Synopsis

While studying in Aligarh Muslim University, Anwar Hussain Anwar (Rajendra Kumar) falls in love with a veiled woman and is unable to get her out of his mind. Bindadeen Rastogi (Johnny Walker) is Anwar's friend in college. Anwar is a budding poet and wins several poetry competitions in college. He participates in the last event before college closure for holidays, in order to express his feelings to his unknown beloved. He sings a wonderful song (reliving his encounter with his veiled lady), but without any response.

En route to Lucknow for holidays, Anwar and Bindadeen meet with Nawab Buland Akhtar Changezi (Ashok Kumar) (he was travelling with his sister, who was travelling in the ladies compartment). Nawab is good friends with Bindadeen's father. Anwar meets Najma (Nimmi), his sister in Lucknow. Najma wants Anwar to become a doctor after studying in London. Najma is a theatre dancer artist, and thus has a low status in society. She has ordered Anwar not to acknowledge her as his sister in public. Najma endured all this, as after their father's death, their relatives took over all their property and left them with nothing. Thus Najma took up the theatre job to bring up Anwar and give him a respectable position in society.

Anwar and Bindadeen rent an apartment in town. Anwar wants his sister to give up dancing and decides to take up a job, so he can support her. Anwar asks Bindadeen for a favor.Subsequently Bindadeen meets with Nawab so that he can use his influence to secure an editor's job for Anwar with a magazine. Nawab obliges Anwar and gets him the job. Nawab then asks Anwar to teach his sister, Husna (Sadhana), some poetry, to which he agrees.

Naseem Ara (Ameeta) is Nawab Buland Akhtar & Husna's Cousin and knows that Husna loves a poet from her college. Naseem lives next door to Anwar and Bindadeen, and she falls in love with Anwar. Anwar hears Naseem reading his poem and thinks that Naseem is the girl whom he has been looking for. Anwar and Naseem stare lovingly at each other for hours.Unkwnown to anyone, Najma is also a consort to the Nawab and gives him company. Nawab loves her, but cant marry her due to her low status. Nawab wants Najma to marry someone else, but she declines.

Husna and Anwar meet for their first session, in which Husna narrates Anwar's poem, which Anwar instantly recognizes. Husna says that her friend heard the poem in college, while Anwar says that it was his friend who wrote it. Husna says that her friend is Naseem Ara, but Nawab tells Anwar that Naseem doesn't study at AMU, and only Husna does. Anwar realizes that Husna is the veiled lady.Meanwhile Bindadeen's father is willing to get him married even to a disfigured girl, if it means that she will fetch a good dowry. When the father of a beautiful girl approaches Bindadeen's father with a marriage proposal for Bindadeen, he refuses since the father cannot afford a large dowry.

Husna also finds out that Naseem is in love with her neighbor, but she is unaware that both ladies love the same guy Anwar. Naseem's brother is Munne Raja (Pran), who lusts after Husna.

Anwar & Husna fall in love with each other and the Nawab approves of this alliance, even though Anwar lives a poor lifestyle. Husna introduces Naseem to Anwar and she is shocked that it is the same guys that she is in love with. Anwar is also shocked to see that Naseem is Husna's cousin. Anwar reaches out to Naseem and explains how he misunderstood that Naseem was the girl he had been searching for. Naseem forgives Anwar, but her family comes to know of her feelings for Anwar. Naseem's aunt (Mumtaz Begum) tells Anwar that Nawab is indebted and that she is willing to offer any price for Anwar's love for Naseem. Anwar refuses.

The aunt goes to Nawab with a wedding proposal of Munne Raja with Husna. But Nawab refuses since Munne Raja is characterless and is found in dance bars all the time.Najma is not fully convinced that Anwar should marry Husna (due to the difference in status), but Nawab says that he has already given his word.

The formal engagement ceremony takes place and arrangements are made for the wedding to take place soon. The heavily indebted Nawab does not realize that Munne Raja has purchased all his debt from the market at double/triple the cost.Soon Nawab finds Anwar in the company of a lowly courtesan, Najma (Nawab thinks that Anwar is having an affair with Najma, and believes that he is as characterless as Munne Raja). Anwar reaches out to Nawab and clarifies that Najma is his sister. Nawab accuses Najma of trying to get control of his wealth through his brother (since Nawab was not agreeing to marry Najma herself). Due to Najma's humiliation, Anwar walks away from Nawab and Husna.

Pressure is brought on Nawab to get Husna to marry wealthy Munne Raja (Pran) - who is all set to auction the former's mansion as well as belongings. Nawab still refuses to get Husna married to Munne Raja.Nawab sees Husna meeting Anwar and goes after him with a shotgun. But then he hears Anwar telling Husna that Nawab is correct to uphold his family's tradition over their love. Nawab is impressed.

Munne Raja proceeds with the auction. As the auction starts, Anwar goes to Naseem's aunt to sell himself in exchange for saving Nawab's Haveli. He takes Rs 10 Lakhs from the aunt and buys the Haveli at the auction. But now Nawab realizes that he has been unfair to Anwar and Husna and wants to unite them. But Anwar says that he has promised to marry Naseem.Nawab goes to Najma and wants to marry her.On Naseem's wedding day, Nawab gifts the Haveli to Naseem. Turns out Naseem always intended to marry Husna to Anwar. She knew love cannot be bought or sold. So, in the end Husna and Anwar are married to each other.