At a family wedding Mevlut catches sight of a girl with whom he falls in love. After a secret courtship of letters passed via his cousin, she agrees to elope with him, & on a dark night the two come together for the first time. As they rush to catch a train to Istanbul, Mevlut realises he has been misled. But the die is cast, & the situation will determine the rest of his days. Over the next four decades in Istanbul, Mevlut works various jobs to support his loving wife & family; work that gives him a special perspective on his rapidly changing city & the people who live there. & every evening he walks the streets, selling his wares & dreaming his dreams.