deven earns a living by teaching hindi literature to college students. as his true interest was in urdu poetry, he jumps at the chance to meet the great urdu poet, nur. under the advice of his friend murad, an editor of a periodical devoted to urdu literature, deven procures a secondhand tape recorder so that he can help transcribe urdu's early poetry, as well as conduct an interview or even write the memoirs of nur. however, things do not happen as he expects them to.