A dejected small-town music teacher grapples with guilt and regret when his ex-pupil who once loved him returns home as the star he always wanted to be.
Despite his ambitions to make it big, Beni is still stuck in the hills, bitter and hurt, struggling to make ends meet by teaching music and singing in clubs. Jyotsna, his estranged student and now a Bollywood singer, left the hills 8 years ago. The town is abuzz with the news of Jyotsna's return to perform at a music concert. Beni has to come to terms with the pains of the past and the delusions of the present to deal with both, Jyotsna's presence in the hills and in his life.
Beni (Manav Kaul) is music teacher for Jonai/Jyotsna (Amrita Bagchi) in Solan. When Beni went to meet Jonai's parents for the first time, her mother tried to negotiate him down from his fee of Rs 1500 to Rs 1000, but Beni refused. Beni believed that music can only be learned from the heart and requires both perfection and emotion.To supplement his income, Beni sings at local parties, singing Bollywood hits to entertain the guests.Jonai fell in love with Beni's passion for music and insisted that she will only have Beni as her teacher.
Beni lives in a beautiful house, on a hill, with a picturesque view, with his sister Urmi (Niharika Lyra Dutt) and his mother Madhavi (Neena Gupta). Beni himself had dreams of going to Mumbai for a music career, but he came back due to responsibilities of his family.Beni's father was a famous classical singer, but Beni went the more commercial route and wanted to sing for Bollywood movies.
Geeta (Divya Dutta) is Beni friend and lives in a house nearby. Geeta's husband travels a lot for work and so he helps her out with odd jobs around the house.Jonai has a vivacious personality and is full of life. Beni loves her energy and youthfulness. Jonai starts flirting with Beni and soon falls in love with him.
Beni convinces Jonai to participate in a singing competition after promising that he will quit smoking if she wins. Jonai wins the competition; she gets singing offers from Mumbai. Jonai proposes to Beni, but he asks to focus on career first. Beni says that millions of girls would die for a contract that Jonai now holds in her hands. Beni tells Jonai that there is no life for talent in the mountains and that she owes it to herself to showcase her talent to the world. Beni says that once Jonai is established, they will have time for love and relationships.Jonai gets upset and accepts the contract. Beni goes to meet Jonai at her home, but her mother rebuffs him and tells Beni to stay away from Jonai as the more he meets her, the more difficult it will be for her to leave the city.Jonai and her family leave for Mumbai, and Jonai forgets him, moving on with her life.
Beni learns that Jonai is back to town after 8 years for a performance at the Shimla Cultural club.Beni is looking for a groom for Urmi. Since their own phone is not working, Beni has given Geeta's phone number to the groom's (Vivek) family for contact.Madhavi is livid that Jonai has sung a song that belonged to Beni's father, on All India Radio, without paying the father any royalties.
Beni continues local music tuition. Geeta's husband Amit goes to city and marries another woman. The woman used to work in the same office as Amit and is now pregnant with his child. Beni learns this from the local barber (Jaspal Sharma). The house in which Geeta stays still belongs to Amit, and there is a threat that he can sell it at any time.Geeta is sad and says that she looks at Beni as more than a friend and expects him to support her when needed. Beni comforts her, and they become friends with benefits. Geeta and Beni start having regular sex at her home.
Shankar is Beni's good friend, who has now become politically connected and powerful. His sister Rama is distraught after her husband was killed in an accident. Madhavi wants Beni to marry Rama and start a new life. She also wants Beni to ask Shankar for a Government job, which he flatly refuses to do.Beni schedules Urmi's engagement on the same day that Jonai is supposed to perform in Shimla. It is clear that he does not want to attend Jonai's performance.
But then Jonai receives a National Award and in a newspaper article, she credits Beni for her success. She says that without Beni she would not have had a music career to begin with.Beni learns that Jonai is charging Rs 2 Lakhs for her performance in Shimla. Shankar corrects Beni and says that Jonai demanded Rs 12 Lakhs for the show and settled for Rs 8 Lakhs. Shankar explains to Beni that now Jonai is out of his league, as Beni earns Rs 8000 in a month.Beni alleges that Shankar is only offering him a Government job so he can get his sister Rama married to him. Shankar is livid and slaps Beni on his face.
Amit's father dies, and he doesn't come back to Shimla for his last rites. Geeta decides to give fire to funeral pyre herself.
Beni tells Geeta that he will propose to Jonai. Geeta encourages him and becomes heart broken and leaves her home.
Urmi is married and Beni rushes to the Club to meet Jonai after her performance. Jonai is proposed by Beni, she says it's too late. She says that the innocent Jonai is no more and even if she wants, she cannot return to her old life.The trio was never destined to attain true love!
