A 40 year old painter, who lives in a wooden and bamboo house on stilts in the middle of a polluted lake on the outskirts of Dhaka City. Alpha's house serves as his painting. Dogs, roosters and birds also share the space with him. There are many moments when he feels a oneness with nature and with the birds and animals that surround him. He also feels deeply drawn to 'an androgynous' male-female identity. Alpha has neighbors in the nearby slum with whom he has close interaction.
Fourteen-year-old Naima longs to earn money for her poor Bangladeshi family, but her unrivaled artistic talent is of little use. When her ailing father is at risk of losing his prized bicycle rickshaw to loan sharks, she disguises herself as a boy and attempts to drive the rickshaw herself. Naima crashes the rickshaw, threatening the family's sole livelihood.
In 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh against Pakistan, Rahelillah follows his conservative uncle, Jabar, who supports Pakistan while Shaheb joins the Liberation Force following his progressive uncle Sabar.
