Lootera

In 1953, Zamindar Soumitra Roychowdhury takes Pakhi to a Chhau dance in Manikpur. The excitement triggers Pakhi's asthma attack, and they rush home where she is treated. The moment foreshadows the fragile boundary between vitality and vulnerability that threads through the story.

While Pakhi recovers, the Zamindar comforts her and narrates the legend of an invincible king whose soul resided inside a parrot. He then reveals that Pakhi herself is that parrot, hinting at a destiny bound to his life. The moment blends myth with a sense of destined connection.

While learning to drive, Pakhi accidentally bumps into a motorcycle and injures a handsome youth who is being treated nearby. She is drawn to him as he recovers. The incident plants the seeds for a fateful connection.

The youth introduces himself as Varun Srivastav, an archaeologist who needs to study the land around the Zamindar's temple. He soon charms the Zamindar and Pakhi with his knowledge and persona. Varun and his assistant Dev are invited to live at the mansion.

Varun persuades the Zamindar to set up a camp near the town temple that houses 300-year-old gold idols. The Zamindar provides access and resources for the dig, while the estate's accountant watches Varun with suspicion. The bond between Varun and Pakhi deepens through shared art and conversation.

As they spend more time together, Varun and Pakhi fall in love and explore each other's passions for art and literature. Pakhi shares her dream of becoming an author, while Varun voices a wish to paint a masterpiece. Their bond strengthens amid the looming pressures around them.

An act debars Zamindars, straining the Chaudhary household's finances. A government treasury officer confiscates artifacts in a crackdown, alleging theft by the East India Company. Varun suggests there are priceless items still hidden in the house and begins to orchestrate a plan to profit from them.

Varun's uncle arrives and poses as a buyer for the artifacts, pulling the family deeper into a risky scheme. The con tests the family's trust and sets the stage for further deception. Dev and Varun prepare to complete their illicit arrangement.

As Varun proposes to Pakhi and wedding preparations begin, his uncle arrives and discourages the union, warning that Varun's life is dangerous and that they deserve normal happiness. Varun wrestles with the choice between love and peril. The couple's future becomes uncertain.

On the wedding night Varun and Dev escape with the stolen valuables, leaving the family betrayed. The temple idols disappear and the purchases' counterfeit currency exposes a wider conspiracy involving a government revenue officer. Pakhi watches her hopes crumble in the shadow of betrayal.

A year later Pakhi lives in Dalhousie with her maid Shyama, grieving her father and wary of Varun's claims. Inspector K. N. Singh asks for her help to nab Varun, but she refuses. Varun and Dev reappear at a lodge on Pakhi's property, triggering a renewed manhunt.

A chase unfolds in Dalhousie as Varun accidentally shoots Dev and a constable fatally, and Varun is wounded while seeking refuge in Pakhi's house. Pakhi and Shyama threaten to hand him over, but Varun's grip on them remains. The pursuit and danger intensify their fraught relationship.

Pakhi confesses she is dying of tuberculosis and clings to the last leaf prophecy, thinking it will determine her fate. Varun reveals his real name, Atmanand Tripathi, and vows to stay with her. He secretly paints a leaf on the tree each night as a symbol of hope.

Varun leaves to escape, but a police blockade on the road fatally wounds him in an encounter. Pakhi awakens to find Varun gone, yet the tree still bears a painted leaf, signaling his final act. She realizes the leaf was Varun's masterpiece and smiles through tears.

Pakhi examines the leaf closely and discovers it is painted, confirming Varun's devotion and the truth behind his last gesture. She holds onto the leaf as a lasting symbol of a love that endures beyond betrayal and death. The story closes with her quiet, hopeful smile.