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