Don’t Grieve!

Benjamin Glonti returns from studying in St. Petersburg to his Georgian homeland. He slides back into carefree revelry, neglecting debts and patients alike. His sister Sofiko worries and hatches a plan to straighten him out by arranging a potential match with Mary, the daughter of a wealthy local doctor.

Sofiko arranges for Benjamin to meet Mary; Mary is the daughter of a wealthy local doctor and is already the focus of Lieutenant Ishkneli's attentions. Benjamin remains largely indifferent to marriage and continues his affair with Margot, the innkeeper’s wife. The matchmaking plan pushes ahead despite his lack of enthusiasm.

Abessalom Shalvovich, a persistent creditor, demands repayment under threat of imprisonment. Sofiko doubles down on the matchmaking plan, hoping a marriage would restore status and provide funds to settle the debts. Benjamin reluctantly goes along with the arrangement, even as his heart remains unsettled.

Ishkneli forbids Benjamin from seeing Mary, fueling a growing conflict between the men. Benjamin defiantly continues his relationship with Mary in secret, stoking the risk of scandal. The social boundaries around him tighten as tensions rise.

In a public confrontation with the domineering Prince Vamekh Vakhvari, Benjamin is humiliated and retreats into the mountains to regain his dignity. The episode marks a turning point, driving him toward isolation. The mountain retreat becomes a crucible for his growing resolve.

While in the mountains, Vamekh has a fatal moment with a fishbone, and no doctor is willing to treat him. Benjamin offers to help on one condition: Vamekh must humiliate himself in the same way he humiliated Benjamin. The arrangement is public, and the incident sparks chatter across the town.

The humiliation incident becomes public gossip, damaging Vakhvari’s reputation and dragging Benjamin into the spotlight. Vakhvari attempts to bribe Benjamin into silence, but Benjamin refuses the bribe. Abessalom Shalvovich uses the episode as leverage and files charges that land Benjamin in prison for unpaid debts.

Sofiko and her husband Luka sell their home to secure Benjamin’s release and move the family to a forest cabin. The upheaval tests the family, but their bond remains intact. Benjamin begins a more reformed path as he adapts to the new life in exile.

Despite his troubles, Benjamin remains drawn to Mary, only to learn that she is pregnant with Ishkneli’s child. The revelation complicates loyalties and raises the stakes for everyone involved. He must reckon with responsibilities that contradict his earlier desires.

As the duel draws near, news arrives that Mary and Ishkneli plan to elope, threatening to upend the social order. The looming duel becomes a catalyst for Benjamin’s reckoning with his past. Tensions rise as the characters confront impossible choices.

Ishkneli insults Prince Vamekh at a train station, provoking a deadly duel in which Vakhvari kills Ishkneli. The tragedy deepens the sense of loss surrounding Mary’s situation. Benjamin watches the consequences unfold with a growing sense of responsibility.

Mary goes into premature labor and dies during childbirth, leaving behind an orphaned son. Benjamin chooses to adopt the child, anchoring a new sense of duty in his life. The loss sharpens his resolve to care for those he loves.

Benjamin returns to Sofiko’s family and vows to provide the child with a loving home. He grapples with past freedoms and shoulders new obligations with humility. The family’s resilience grows as they weather hardship together.

In a final act of redemption, Benjamin hosts Dr. Levan Tsintsadze’s dying wish—a last feast—and inherits Tsintsadze’s home. The gathering marks a turning point from impulse to steadiness. He embraces a life shaped by responsibility and care.

Benjamin, now mature and settled, begins a new life with his newly created family in the countryside. He dedicates himself to the child he has adopted and to the kin he has claimed as his own. The narrative closes on a note of peaceful contentment and responsibility.