Kamal, the youngest son of the beloved and feared family patriarch Abd al-Gawwad, experiences the hardships and challenges of growing up: His intense love for the aristocrat's daughter Aida remains unrequited. His enthusiasm for the national independence movement and his interest in science, which leads him to doubt religious customs, are met with harsh rejection from his father, who condemns Kamal as a heretic. Discouraged, he begins to drown his sorrows in wine bars and wander through the streets of brothels, while his brother Jasin and their father, unaware of each other's intentions, compete for the affection of the same young lute player. But Zanuba, this enchanting and demanding woman, does not allow herself to be toyed with.