Aashayein

Rahul wins a massive 30 million rupees in a single betting spree and immediately proposes to Nafisa, who joyfully accepts. Right after the engagement, Rahul collapses, stunned by the sudden turn of events. The victory is overshadowed by something ominous looming over him.

The following day, a medical test reveals Rahul has cancer. He struggles to grasp the news, and during a late night moment he runs down a street screaming that he has only months to live. The fear drives him toward a radical plan.

In a rush of desperation, Rahul spots a newspaper ad for a rehabilitation centre for those with incurable diseases seeking peace in their last days. He flees his fiancée, leaving most of the money behind, and heads toward this supposed haven. The impulsive decision marks the start of a new path.

Rahul checks into the rehabilitation centre and meets a diverse group of residents who will shape his journey. He encounters Parthasarthi, who speaks through an electrolarynx, Madhu with AIDS, Padma the wheelchair-bound teen, and Govinda, a cheerful boy believed to be a messenger of God. The initial bonds begin to form as he observes their shared struggles.

Over time, Rahul forms genuine bonds with each resident, and their courage and humor begin to reshape his outlook on life. He learns to listen beyond his own fears and discovers that their hopes and histories mirror his own. The relationships give him a renewed sense of purpose within the centre.

A severe coughing spell leaves Rahul weak and collapses in Govinda’s room, alarming the others. The moment underscores the fragility of life inside the rehabilitation home and tests his new connections. The group rallies around him as he fights to recover.

The next day Govinda offers Rahul mangoes and shares a story that mirrors his own dreams. Rahul envisions himself as Indiana Jones, on a quest to recover a lost whip locked inside a box within a palace of death. To gain the key, he must free many souls who are trapped as spirits, with Padma urging him onward.

Rahul realizes the true key lies in his own heart and love. He stages a beach program with Padma, featuring a band that sings about living in the present. Guests write down wishes, placing them in a pot as part of the Wish Fairy Club.

A delicate romance blossoms, but Rahul refuses a physical relationship. Padma removes her wig, revealing her bald head, and her condition worsens. Her final wish is to share a kiss, which Rahul grants as she passes away in that moment.

Padma's death prompts Rahul to discover a hidden Indiana Jones costume and a whip in the Wish Fairy Club closet, gifts she had provided. Nafisa re-enters the story, and Govinda resumes the tale, pushing Rahul to pursue a dream beyond the centre. A map leads Rahul toward a waterfall that could cure his cancer.

Rahul becomes consumed with finding the map that would take him to a healing waterfall near a resort in the Himalayas. The pursuit becomes a symbol of hope and a purpose beyond his illness. The other residents and Nafisa serve as anchors as the journey gains momentum.

The film closes with Rahul and Nafisa leaving the rehabilitation centre, setting off toward the Himalayan resort to drink the healing waters. The journey embodies a promise of hope, dignity, and living in the present as cancer remains a part of their lives.