Widower Nawab Yusuf Khan lives a wealthy lifestyle in Sultanpur, British India, along with his school-going son, Shahnawaz, and a college-going brother, Aslam, When he finds out that Aslam has fallen into wrong company and is frequenting a courtesan by the name of Pheroza, he gets him to return home and arranges his marriage with Shama, who is the only daughter of Maulvi Karrimudin. On the day of the marriage, Aslam runs away, elopes and gets married to Pheroza. A devastated Karrimudin passes away, leaving his wife and Shama destitute and dependent on Mehrunisa.