"Chisti" depicts the humiliating life of Armenian migrant workers in Batumi, now reduced to shining shoes, like the narrator's acquaintance, the "philosopher" Manuk. Manuk recounts the tragic story of their former boss in Tiflis, Karapet, who exploited another worker, Khacho, by stealing his entire life savings, which ultimately led to Khacho's death from grief. The story highlights the profound vulnerability and exploitation faced by displaced people simply trying to survive.