Dev Saran, portrayed by Shahrukh Khan, is a prominent soccer player residing in New York with his wife Rhea, played by Preity Zinta, their young son Arjun, and Dev's supportive mother, Kamaljeet, brought to life by Kirron Kher. As destiny unfolds, he crosses paths with Maya, embodied by Rani Mukherjee, an orphan set to marry her childhood friend, Rishi Talwar, played by Abhishek Bachchan. Their serendipitous meeting occurs just before Maya’s wedding, leading to a heartfelt exchange that leaves an indelible mark on both their lives. She whispers to him, reminding him not to say goodbye, for they may meet again, before fate intervenes with a tragic accident that leaves Dev unable to play soccer.
Fast forward four years, and we find Dev enshrouded in bitterness and resentment, grappling with his inability to perform on the field, while Rhea's flourishing career exacerbates his feelings of inadequacy. Concurrently, Maya too struggles in her relationship, discovering her infertility and feeling unloved by Rishi. When their lives intertwine as couples, they form a friendship bound by mutual discontent in their marriages. They come to understand Sam and Kamaljeet’s bond, realizing it's possible to seek solace in friendship.
As Dev and Maya delve deeper into conversation over daily coffee meets, they begin to explore their emotions, evoking a magnetic pull towards one another. After having celebrated their wedding anniversaries, tensions arise, leading Maya to confess her feelings to Dev at a train station. As their spouses, Rhea and Rishi, come to terms with their own issues and seek reconciliation, Dev and Maya embark on an extramarital affair, finding fleeting happiness in their connection.
Their journey is fraught with complications, as they attend a ballet show with their spouses, orchestrating moments of jealousy. Dev's heartfelt ‘joke’ about his love for Maya catches Sam's attention, foreshadowing the turmoil to come. Soon after, tragedy strikes as Sam suffers a heart attack, imparting wisdom to Maya about the futility of remaining in an unhappy marriage.
In the wake of this loss, Dev and Maya resolve to sever their ties and face the truth of their actions. Their spouses, reeling from the confession, choose to divorce them, leading to a profound sense of loss and solitude. Time passes; three years later, each is living an empty life, unaware of the other's struggles.
Rishi’s decision to remarry prompts Maya to step back into old ties, while Rhea finds herself at the wedding, solidifying the realization that everyone has moved on. In a twist of fate, at the train station, Dev and Maya finally confront one another once more, igniting the flame of their long-lost love as they express their shared history of loneliness.
In a poignant narrative, Dev reflects on love as the essential foundation of marriage, emphasizing that without it, relationships crumble. They embrace the prospect of a shared future as they embark on a new journey together, transcending the heartache of their past.
