Raj(Shashi Kapoor) and Poonam (Sharmila Tagore) are sweethearts cursed with extreme poverty. Raj must provide for his family, and arrange for his sister's marriage. Poonam fights for pennies to nurse her ailing mother, while her father drinks away his earnings. A job offer takes Raj away into a world of wealth and intrigue, but creates a situation where both parties lose their moral compass.