“””The novel parallelly covers four intertwined and interconnected stories across three chapters: the story of Noh, Maria, Layla, and the narrator.

The Story of Noh:

The narrator begins his narration of Noh Al-Saai’s story by returning to his childhood. He talks about his constant competition with his brother Murad and their father’s neglect of Noh in favor of Murad. Their father gave Murad his name and charted a path for him that ended with Murad entering medical school and inheriting his father’s title and clinic.

The Story of Maria:

Three sessions bring Maria together with Nadine, the psychiatrist. Maria complains of a depression that no sedatives can alleviate, nor any medicine can chase away. She recounts her story from her childhood where she grew up in a house filled with hatred between two parents who neither loved each other nor separated, forcing their daughter to live as a frayed rope connecting two spheres doing everything they can to tear it apart while pretending to be holding on for its sake.

The Story of Layla:

Layla arrived in the small town accompanied by her father Jamil and her sister Azza, who has Down syndrome. Her father rented a shop next to Borsat Al-Saai and a small apartment that barely accommodated their dilapidated furniture. Jamil became the most famous confectioner on Al-Saai Street. Layla grew up and blossomed, falling in love with their neighbor Mustafa, who made her fall in love with books and reading. However, he left her and moved to Cairo without explanation or farewell.

The Story of the Narrator:

The narrator sends three letters to the publisher. He talks about the depression that has taken hold of him, his desire to quit writing forever, his old briefcase that accompanied him on his trips to Cairo in search of an eye to read his words or a hand to support his pen. About his small apartment that became empty after his wife who hates paper, and his daughter, whom he never cared for as much as he did for the characters of his novels and their worlds, left him.”