Plot

Madhav meets a girl named Riya and falls in love. After stuggling to convince her to be his girlfriend, she half heartedly agrees to be his "Half Girlfriend"

Once upon a time, there was a Bihari boy called Madhav. He fell in love with a girl from Delhi called Riya. Madhav didn't speak English well. Riya did. Madhav wanted a relationship. Riya didn't. Riya just wanted friendship. Madhav didn't. Riya suggested a compromise. She agreed to be his half girlfriend.

Madhav Jha (Arjun Kapoor), a rural boy from Bihar, who can't speak English well, luckily gets accepted to St. Steven's College through the sports quota. Madhav falls for Riya Somani (Shraddha Kapoor), a rich girl who also studies at St. Steven's College. Soon, Madhav befriends Riya due to their association with basketball and conveys his feelings for her, but Riya declines the proposal of being his girlfriend. Madhav's friends still encourage him to pursue Riya in the hopes that she will eventually date him.

Riya confesses to Madhav that she wants to be a bar singer but is shy of singing in public. Madhav works hard with Riya to overcome her fear of the crowds and gets her singing in front of live audiences.

One night, Madhav and Riya hang out together. Madhav picks her up from her house, and after spending the evening together, when she returns home, she kisses Madhav before entering her house.

Madhav is invited to Riya's birthday party and meets Rohan (Vikas B Mandaliya) (Riya's childhood friend and a hotel magnate based out of the UK). Madhav finally presses Riya about his relationship with her, and she tells Madhav that they can maybe reach a compromise since they have reached halfway, and she offers to be his "half girlfriend".

Madhav is happy, but is dorm mate Shailesh (Vikrant Massey), reminds Madhav that he is only Riya's time-pass as the half that she has offered, only represents all the odd jobs that Madhav can perform for Riya and nothing else. Shailesh advises Madhav to keep a physical relationship with Riya. One afternoon after a game, Madhav asks Riya if she would like to rest in his room in a boys only dorm, where (goaded by his peers and feeling humiliated by Riya's uncertainty), Madhav tries to force himself upon Riya. Upset and hurt, a few days later, Riya tells Madhav that she is leaving college and getting married. Madhav tries to stop her, but she leaves.

A year later, Riya marries her childhood friend Rohan and settles in London, where Rohan has a big business. On the other hand, finding Delhi unbearable on grounds of losing Riya, Madhav settles in his hometown and helps his mother, Rani Sahiba (Seema Biswas), who runs her school. Madhav tries to help girls get admission in his mother's school but is unable due to the college's poor toilet facilities for girls. Madhav contacts the MLA to raise funds but is rejected. However, Madhav gets to know that Bill Gates is visiting schools in Bihar and will help them to raise funds. Problem arises as Madhav is appointed to give a speech to Bill Gates in English. Madhav decides to apply for a grant, for which he goes to the Chanakya hotel in Patna.

Meanwhile, Riya comes to Bihar and meets Madhav. Riya is living in the hotel and works for CloseUp. Riya tells Madhav that she is a divorcee. They hang out for some time, and Madhav learns that Riya has divorced because her husband and his mother tried to beat her.

Riya assures him to prepare a speech for Bill Gates. At the time of preparing Madhav for the speech in English, Riya falls in love with Madhav, which she does not tell him till the end. One day, he takes her to his house, where Madhav's mother asks her about her marriage. She acts rudely after discovering that she is a divorcee. A few days before the speech, when Riya has to go back to Patna, Madhav's mother asks her to stay away from Madhav. She, however, attends Madhav's speech. Madhav gives a good speech, in which Bill Gates decides to help them.

After the speech, Riya leaves a letter for him. Riya's letter confesses her love for Madhav and says that she has been diagnosed with blood cancer and will die in three months. She requests him not to search for her, as she herself does not know where she will go. Madhav is seen going to Riya's house to deliver her belongings to her mother, who starts crying on learning about Riya's disease. Madhav recalls that she wanted to become a singer at a bar in New York. Unprepared, Madhav goes to New York to visit his friend Shailesh. Later Madhav finds out that Riya lied to him as his mother asked Riya to stay away from Madhav saying that life has given a lot of chances to Riya, but it is Madhav's first chance.

When Madhav attempts to track her down in New York, he finds that she has cut all ties in India and has disappeared. Shailesh, Madhav's college friend with whom Madhav stays tells him to forget Riya after Madhav does everything to find Riya but becomes disheartened unable to find her.

Shailesh and his wife Rutvi learn about the incident and try to deviate Madhav's attention from Riya. Rutvi tries to set him up with Anshika, her friend. Madhav starts dating Anshika (Rhea Chakraborty), a sweet girl, who is introduced by Shailesh. Anshika also has a broken heart and slowly Madhav and Anshika bond. Eventually Anshika falls in love with Madhav, but Madhav still holds a candle for Riya.

Madhav is going back to India and Anshika throws her a farewell party. The party features video messages from all of Madhav's friends and Anshika's message is recorded in a bar, without Anshika knowing that Riya is singing in the background.

Madhav takes Anshika's permission to track down Riya. He runs to the cafe and finds Riya and understands that she had lied to Madhav about being sick as his mother didn't want Riya, a divorcee, to be with her son. They reconcile and consummate their relationship.

A few years later, Madhav is seen talking to his mother about opening a new school, and Riya helps their daughter Tvisha Jha learn to play basketball, but she is unable to do it. Riya tells her daughter to never give up.