Ruma Maida

Maida, a young history student, runs a free school for street children in Jakarta from a house that once belonged to Ishak Pahing. The house's long history inspires her to consider writing her undergraduate thesis about Pahing's life. Her day-to-day work with the children anchors the story and motivates her investigation.

Ishak Pahing was a Christian Indo composer and pilot who lived in the house. He wrote the song 'Pulau Tenggara,' which inspired Sukarno to support the Non-Aligned Movement. The house becomes a symbol of national history and cultural heritage.

Sakera, a young Muslim architect, is ordered to evict Maida's school by his employer, the developer Dasaad Muchlisin. The confrontation triggers rioting in the streets of Jakarta as tensions rise. Sakera vows to help Maida keep the house, even though demolition is scheduled within a week.

Maida learns the house sits on disputed land and teams up with a traditional musical group linked to Pahing. They uncover a hidden underground bunker beneath the building and discover documents revealing the house's history. The newly found records point to a rightful ownership that challenges the developers' claim.

Maida enlists her mother's former lover Kuan to help verify the ownership documents. They piece together archival evidence that ties the house to its historical owners, strengthening their case against Muchlisin. The revelation heightens the stakes for preserving the house.

Pahing is arrested by the Japanese spy Maruyama for being half-Dutch, a charge rooted in occupation-era prejudice. He is tortured, then released to discover his wife has been raped and killed and their newborn son kidnapped. The personal tragedy fuels Pahing's later actions and the family’s fate.

Pahing later dies on a flight carrying medical supplies over Yogyakarta when the plane is shot down. The loss leaves his family with unresolved grief and a legacy of resilience. His death also cements the emotional weight behind Maida's research.

Maruyama raises the kidnapped son after the war and renames him Dasaad Muchlisin to hide his identity. The son grows up unaware of his true lineage, yet the history of the house quietly shapes his present actions.

Maida, Sakera, and Kuan confront Muchlisin with the house's hidden past and its rightful ownership. Muchlisin remains silent for a moment before telling them to leave, signaling a temporary stalemate in the struggle to preserve the house.

Several months pass, and Maida and Sakera marry in a ceremony that unites both mosque and church. The wedding underscores the community's acceptance of the couple and their shared commitment to the house's future.

On the wedding day, Muchlisin appears at the church and reveals he has abandoned the plan to demolish the house. He renovates the building and dedicates it as a school for street children, aligning with the house's legacy of education and care.

The story ends with the house preserved as a school for street children, honoring Pahing's memory and Maida's research. Communities celebrate the resolution and the unity forged around preserving cultural and historical heritage. The house stands as a living monument to history, culture, and the spirit of the Non-Aligned Movement.