1947. Amritsar. Guru Ram Das Serai near the Golden Temple has become a temporary refuge for Hindu and Sikh families fleeing the communal terror and bloodbath of Partition. One of the legions of volunteers providing succour to the new arrivals is Satnam Singh, the leader of the local Unity Council. He is struck by the extraordinary calm of an erudite-looking old man with a long flowing beard, and his companion, a resolute young woman, whose eyes seem haunted by the tragedies they have witnessed.