In the Himalayan town of Darjeeling, India, the devout Tibetan monk, Tashi, is sent to Japan for further studies. There, he befriends a violent elderly man and his parolee granddaughter, Emi, who are both struggling to make ends meet. As the loneliness they all share brings them closer to Tashi, forbidden feelings between him and Emi emerge. Can Tashi avoid losing himself in the impossible choice between his love for a woman and his promise to his religion?