Phoolrenu lives in Kashipur with her widowed mom, and younger brother, Ramesh. She teaches Chemistry in distant Roop Narayan Girls' College, where because of her unfriendly and cold disposition she has been nicknamed 'carbon dioxide'. It is here that she meets the new Sanskrit Lecturer, Swarnkamal, who instantly falls head-over-heels in love with her, while she openly detests him; his manner of teaching Sanskrit; the teachings of Maha-Kavi Kali-Das; the romance between Lord Shankar and Devi Parvati; and the love poems that are having a detrimental effect on the entire female student body. Swarnkamal's overtures towards her, especially during the festival of color, Holi; then his asking her to be his Shakuntala during a play; his visit to Kashipur, amongst others, appear to bear no fruit. It is then he learns that he does have a place in her heart, but wants him to go through proper channels by responding to her matrimonial advertisement in a newspaper.