Heartbroken, Zainuddin leaves Sumatra for Java, where he channels his pain into writing and journalism, eventually becoming a successful and respected author. Meanwhile, Hayati’s life descends into misery due to Aziz’s infidelity. The climax of the film coincides with the real historical tragedy of the sinking of the steamship Van der Wijck in 1936, where the fates of the two lovers are sealed in a heart-wrenching finale.