When a Gift for the King begins, we jumped back three weeks and see the devastating riots of Karachi. We jump back and forth between riot scenes and Aafrin scanning through records regarding the death of Naresh (Arjun Mathur). Aafrin concludes that Naresh planted his paperwork on a dead man’s body to fake his own death. Next, Douglas (Craig Parkinson) says goodbye to one of the youngsters, Chota Matthew (Kabir Raj Singh Singh Randhawa) at the school. Douglas tells the boy that he’ll only be gone for a few hours, before departing. At the mansion, Viceroy Wilingdon (Patrick Malahide) and Ralph (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) curse the upcoming King’s Silver Jubliee, while citizens begin piling in. Wilingdon confirms his speech is almost finished, before rushing off. Outside, Aafrin (Nikesh Patel) speaks with Ronnie Keane (Rick Warden) and tells him he wants a few people granted clearance for the event. Keane tells him how to achieve his goal.

Aafrin speaks with the man in charge and gets his guests access to the party. Meanwhile, Ian McLeod (Alexander Cobb) and Sooni (Aysha Kala) watch the locals and discuss their disgust for their behavior. When asked, Sooni confirms she will be attending the local protect. Aafrin pays a visit to his private room and encounters Naresh. He gives him his clearance and also tells him he can wear one of his old suits. Aafrin manages to convince Naresh to tell him where the bomb is hidden. Next, Aafrin runs into his sister and tells her to stay at home, during the festival. During this time, we see Chota playing around with his wagon. Naresh watches on from around the corner. Madeleine (Olivia Grant) and Alice (Jemima West) visit the border and wait for the Maharajah’s arrival. Unfortunately, he doesn’t show, but he does send along a gift. Back at the mansion, Ralph attempts to provide the Viceroy with tips for his speech, before Aafrin interrupts.

Aafrin tells Ralph about his suspicion that Naresh is still alive and also provides him with information regarding the bomb’s location. Aafrin refuses to tell Ralph where or how he is acquiring the information, but Ralph agrees to look into it nonetheless. The police quickly rush over to Ian’s farm and search for the bomb. They’re unable to find anything of note. However, Naresh watches on from a distance and immediately knows he has been betrayed. He immediately heads to the school and retrieves the bomb, before being spotted by Chota. Naresh attempts to convince the boy that he will never be able to find a family. During this time, Aafrin returns to Ralph and learns that a bomb has not been found. In order to convince Ralph to continue searching for the bomb, Aafrin shows him pictures of Naresh and confirms the dead man wasn’t Naresh. Aafrin is also forced to expose his relationship with Kaira.

Aafrin is confronted by Alice on the way out. He admits he’ll be fine, but he remains concerned for Alice’s safety and tells her to stay away from the party. Charlie watches their interaction from a distance. Next, Ronnie speaks with Cynthia (Julie Walters). After he departs, she looks at the picture of her husband and Ralph’s mother. Meanwhile, Ralph unveils the gift from Maharajah, which turns out to be a sculpture of the man. Wilingdon makes his speech, while everyone listens on. Aafrin tells Ralph that he is scheduled to meet with Naresh in an hour. Ralph agrees to get the authorities to help. During this time, Naresh instructs Chota how to transport and blow the bomb at precisely 4. Aafrin’s father prepares to head to the party, while Sooni manages to escape to the protest. Once she arrives, she is confronted by Naresh, who slices her with a knife. She manages to fight his off and Ian arrives just in time to give chase.

Naresh is stopped by Ian and taken into custody. On the way into the police station, he is given cyanide, which he takes as soon as he enters his cell. Ralph enters and attempts to gain information from Naresh, but it is too late. He simply says Aafrin’s name and dies. Back at the Dalal home, Sooni recovers, while her parents praise Ian for his help. However, he admits Sooni did everything herself. Aafrin’s father heads outside and tells Alice to leave his son alone, since he thinks their relationship could be killing him. Aafrin returns to the mansion and learns about Naresh from Ralph. He is also confronted with the truth and Aafrin finally comes clean. He admits to working behind Ralph’s back and confesses he did so, due to Ramu Sood. However, Aafrin still insists Ralph is his friend and that he needs to pull himself together. Aafrin pleads with Ralph to help him, as he once did for him.

They eventually attend the party, while Chota arrives with the bomb. He tells the guards that it is simply a gift for the king. Once he gets into the courtyard, he is confronted by Doug. Doug looks into the box and finds the explosives. He grabs the boy and attempts to run for it. However, it explodes before they can get away. The boy survives, but Doug seems to be a goner.

 

Indian Summers Review

The 6th episode of Indian Summers was definitely the best to date. The action was gripping and Naresh finally proved himself to be willing to do anything to get his way. Ralph also discovered the truth about Aafrin and his scheming. How will this impact the future and will it drive a wedge between Aafrin and Alice. Or will their relationship be the thing that saves him from further trouble?

All in all, an excellent episode. A 9 out of 10 is deserved. Check out previous recaps of Indian Summers right now!