John, a hapless young student from the south with a brilliant academic career ahead of him, and Mariam, a shy, preternaturally perceptive woman from the north, meet and fall in love. Their seemingly mismatched natures and the alarming changes occurring in their country - a fictional Middle Eastern nation torn apart by political and religious strife - conspire to keep them apart for years. But a day comes when, across a great distance, both realize that they have always loved each other.