Maqbool is a gardener in the gardens of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. His wife died long ago his sons were in the Emperor’s army and are away with their families in the Deccan. From then onwards the roses were his family. He named every rose like Gulbadan, Badal, Dilruba and Ghata.

One day he sent a rose ‘Subah’ well decorated in a basket to princess Jahanara through Dilruba the maid. In return the princess sent him a silk jacket. The next day when he was digging up a flower fed, another maid by name Panna comes and tells him that she is a maid to Princess Jahanara. Maqbool finishes his digging, sits down with a basket of golden marigolds and begins stringing a garland.

He tells that he is taking that to the Hanumanji mandir. Panna requests Maqbool to take her to the mandir. Maqbool agrees on the condition that he will not buy her anything. He took her to the bustling streets of Agra. Panna looked around in wonder and delight.

The girl walked slowly and stopped everywhere. Panna took the garland from Maqbool and placed it at the feet of the idol. She reached up and rang all the bells and then bent down low to do pranam. The priest gave them prasad and she immediately popped some into her mouth.

Then the two strolled through the bazaar. Panna sat and listened to a man singing on the masjid steps and stood giggling at a funny magician.

She bought roasted chana and sweet potatoes from a street vendor, she stood wide-eyed looking up at the sky, As she was looking at the kite flying high up, soldiers enter with their swords and said that the princess had been kidnapped. Panna revealed her disguise and the commander asked Maqbool to surrender. Princess Jahanara saves him and asks Maqbool to go back to his garden.

The next day Maqbool was sitting sadly in the garden and princess Jahanara came there. Maqbool said that the commander wanted him to leave for Sikandra immediately. Princess Jahanara rewarded Maqbool, the rose gardens of the Qila for the rest of his life and requested him to send her the prasadam whenever he went to the mandir.