Zara Si Zindagi

Rakesh, a young man with an M.A. in philosophy, arrives in Delhi from Bihar in search of work. He and his friend Amit share a dilapidated cottage in a Delhi slum and struggle to find regular meals. Their precarious life sets the backdrop for the people they will meet.

Tilak from Punjab arrives to stay with them, joining the small-time circle. The trio shares what little they have, often going without food. The cramped, poverty-stricken setting deepens their bond and tension.

One day at a bus stop, Rakesh offers to carry Kusum's luggage to the railway station after the buses fail and taxi drivers go on strike. Kusum pays him, but he has no change, which she misreads as deception and scolds him in Punjabi. He reveals that he understands Punjabi and that he isn’t cheating her.

Rakesh chases a man who cheated him out of 15 rupees and follows him into a house. Kusum answers the door, and Rakesh realizes the man is Kusum's father. Kusum returns the looted money when she learns the situation.

Kusum is a small-time stage actress who takes Rakesh to meet her stage-director Pratap to replace an ailing actor in a play. Pratap is arrogant and jealous, and he cannot tolerate the idea of Kusum growing close to Rakesh. He ultimately throws Rakesh out of the stage drama.

Rakesh refuses a clerical post after misbehaving with interview-takers and tears his certificates of qualification. This incident underscores his pride and resistance to conventional paths.

Amit somehow earns money with the help of a friend named Dilip, though the identity of Dilip remains unclear. Tilak is desperate to know who Dilip is. Amid these concerns, Kusum's father Jaggu abandons their home and vanishes for days.

Kusum arrives at Rakesh's house with her belongings, choosing to live there as her father's whereabouts are unknown. The two share a new domestic rhythm while living with Amit and Tilak nearby.

Kusum takes a babysitting job but is fired after losing the baby while shopping for a toy. The baby is later kidnapped by Amit, who brings the child to Rakesh and claims their hardship will end with a ransom.

Kusum realizes the baby is the one she had been babysitting and hurries to the parents to return the child. Her quick action restores some trust and replays the family's concerns.

Rakesh confronts Amit, demanding the truth about Dilip. Amit dismisses the Dilip identity, saying it's his own negative mentality, and Rakesh expels him from their home.

Kusum declares her love for Rakesh to Arun, a clownish artist they met in a park. This confession adds a fragile hope to their relationship despite the obstacles.

Pratap tries to force marriage by pressuring Kusum to secure a job for Rakesh through his industrialist father Mohanlal Sharma. Kusum agrees only if Rakesh is employed, but Mohanlal reveals Kusum is his son's girlfriend.

In the park, Kusum bursts into tears and tells Rakesh she will accept whatever he wants. Pratap leaves in anger as she seems to stand by Rakesh, and the film closes with a quiet hug between Rakesh and Kusum in the park; Pratap, in a temper, hands a neck-chain meant for their marriage to a street beggar.