Plot

A happy family goes through turbulent times because of a big mistake by one of the family members.

D.K. Malhotra lives a comfortable lifestyle with his wife, Indu, and two school-going daughters, Pinky and Minni. He works in the office of an Architect. One day while the family is relaxing, D.K. gets a phone call that results in him bringing home a young school-going boy by the name of Rahul. Indu is shocked to learn that Rahul is D.K.'s son from another woman, Bhavana, who is no more. D.K. does his best to make Rahul comfortable, but fails. Rahul also feels that Indu does not really like him, though Pinky and Minni have taken to him in a big way. Finally, D.K. decides to admit Rahul in a boarding school in far off Nainital. Rahul reluctantly goes along with this new-found uncle/friend. It is when Rahul is asked to put his papers together for school that Rahul finds out that D.K. is his biological father. Watch what happens when Rahul disappears from D.K.'s house, and the impact this has on D.K., Indu, and her two daughters.—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Indu (Shabana Azmi) and DK Malhotra (Naseeruddin Shah) have a happy marriage and two daughters - Pinky (Urmila Matondkar) and Minni (Aradhana Srivastav) - and live in Delhi. Suri (Saeed Jaffrey) is DK's family friend and Chanda (Tanuja) is Indu's friend and a socialite who has recently been divorced. Their biggest issue in life is whether to get a dog in the house or not. They are happy. Chanda and Indu's common friend Ritu tries to commit suicide when her husband has an affair and keeps a mistress.

One day DK gets a telegram from a Gurudayal Singh from Nainital. DK can't recollect and calls Nainital. He realizes that it is his old school master. Masterji says Bhavana did not tell DK about their son as she did not want to disturb DK's matrimonial life. Now that she has died, Masterji (Paidi Jairaj) sends word to DK informing him that his son, Rahul (Jugal Hansraj), who is nine years old, needs a home. The tranquility of Indu and DK's life is interrupted when DK admits to Indu that he has a son, the result of an affair with Bhavana (Supriya Pathak) during his 1973 visit to Nainital when his wife Indu was about to give birth to their first child Pinky (Urmila Matondkar).

Indu is further enraged when another telegram arrives informing DK that Masterji has died. Now Rahul is completely alone, and the town elders send him to DK as he is now the only known relative. Despite the objections of Indu, who is devastated to learn of her husband's infidelity, DK brings the boy to stay with them in Delhi. Rahul is never told that DK is his father as he bonds with DK and his daughters. But Indu can't bear to look at him, a tangible reminder of DK's betrayal. Rahul remembers his own mom, when he sees Indu mothering Mini and Pinky.

Indu confides in Chanda who is equally enraged. Indu feels cheated. Chanda wants Indu to be tough and gives her own example. She runs a successful garments store after her divorce as an independent woman.

Suri invites DK and family for a day at his farmhouse. DK doesn't know how to introduce Rahul to them. They play cricket and DK yells out with pride when Rahul plays well. and this upsets Indu tremendously. DK admits the truth to Suri as well. He says Bhavna had just lost her family and was lonely and vulnerable. Masterji had introduced them as Bhavna needed company to forget her grief and then they slept together. Suri advises DK that Rahul has to be sent to boarding school.

Rahul gets along very well with Pinky and Mini. He even makes a bangle box for Indu for her birthday. Indu warms up to Rahul but can't shake the betrayal feeling every time she looks at him. Rahul hurts his finger while making a bird house for Mini. he yells for his mother and Indu is upset and yells at Rahul that she is not his mother.

DK, worried by the effect Rahul is having on his family, decides to put him in a boarding school in St. Joseph's College, Nainital; Rahul accepts with reluctance. He also learns that Masterji has recently passed away. Rahul feels he is truly alone in the world now. Meanwhile Indu finds that Chanda has reconciled with her husband and is happy now.

After gaining admission at the school and returning to Delhi before his permanent move to Nainital in 10 days' time, Rahul figures out that DK is his father (he finds the letter that Masterji had written to DK and finds the truth) and runs away from home (he gets upset when DK introduces Rahul as his friend's son to his boss).

After he is escorted home by a police officer (he found the letter in Rahul's pocket which had Dk's address on it), Rahul confesses his awareness of the identity of his father to Indu. Indu is unable to bear his heartbreak and intercepts Rahul before he is put on the train to Nainital, thereby accepting him into the family and wholeheartedly forgiving DK, after which they drive home happily.