An ambassador’s family returns to Indonesia, but they are having difficulties in readjusting themselves. Rani longs for her husband to return, while the ambassador is always recalling his glory days. Tony is drunk all the time and dreams of being a terrorist but is too scared as the image of his mother being shot keeps flashing back in his mind. The third child, Yenni, is the sanest of them all but she lives like a nurse in a mental institution. Then Taslim arrives to assist them but he actually only wants to be a hotel staff. At the end, every member of the family wakes up and are finally able to face reality.

Father, Cokro, has a disagreement with the son, Baskoro, while there is a revolt of the factory workers in the cigarette factory. During the upheaval, Baskoro has an accident that forces him to stay at home and he loses his self-confidence. He falls in love with his nurse, Sumi, unaware that his stepmother is also attracted to him. The leader of the factory revolt, Prabowo, is really the illegitimate child of Cokro; while Sumi is also their little sister as their mother is now married to Doel, the chauffeur of the family. The narrative is complicated and twisted.

The biography of the Indonesian women's emancipatist, R.A. Kartini, based on her letters.

For this sequel to the unexpectedly successful Ratapan Anak Tiri (Lament of a Stepchild), Susy is bullied by her stepmother, who is her father’s third wife. However, her stepsister Umi, who is the biological daughter of her stepmother, always defends her. Reno, her schoolmate, loves Susy but it is not mutual. On one occasion when he eats at her place and makes the floor dirty, Susy is thrown out of the house, when her stepmother slips, knocks her head and is unconscious. Umi joins Susy and they stay over at a friend’s house. Umi misses her father, so both girls separate. The stepmother, who is looking for Umi, comes across Susy on the streets and verbally abuses her. Susy now dares to fight back and challenges her.

A battle of black magic, revenge, death and assorted Indonesian weirdness occurs between Arifin, his first wife Tati, his second wife Sandra and playboy Anton, who is after Arifin's wealth (and Sandra). Two different shamans (one good and one evil) become involved in the jacked up love triangle.

Anton is a student leader at his campus. His friends expect him to face the despotism of their lecturer, Yusnita. Anton takes this challenge without considering the risk of falling in love with Yusnita, their biggest enemy.

Joki Tobing, a rebellious young man, arrives from Medan and works as a reporter. His reports cause him to be fired by his chief editor, and even his uncle, in whose house he is staying, throws him out. He reports on his uncle’s corruption, which also relates to his own father.

Miranti is left a widow after her pilot husband dies in an accident. She forces herself to work independently, despite feeling alienated. She soon learns that her brother-in-law Dimas cares greatly for her. Miranti ultimately realises that his feelings are more than just pity, and the two can unite.

About hard life in Jakarta City.