March 1932, Ralph Whelan and the rest of the ICS begin the annual move to Simla. Ralph’s sister, Alice, returns to India following the death of her husband. Cynthia Coffin prepares the exclusively white British Club for the start of the summer season. The train to Simla is delayed when a young boy is found collapsed on the train tracks. Local missionary Dougie and his assistant Leena get off the train to seek medical attention for the child, leaving Dougie’s furious wife Sarah behind. A mysterious assassin makes his way to Simla leading to a bloody start to the summer season.

The fallout from the shooting reverberates around Simla and a curfew is put in place to deal with the supposed terrorist threat. The arrival of a journalist causes trouble for Ralph when he attempts to uncover the truth behind the assassination attempt. Tensions between Ralph and Alice continue to escalate. Ian is shocked to learn of his uncle’s financial difficulties. Eugene and Cynthia conspire to push Madeleine and Ralph closer together. Sarah becomes suspicious of Alice’s past and begins some detective work to uncover the real reasons behind her move to India.

It’s the Sipi Fair in Simla, the only time in the year that the Indian community is allowed onto the grounds of the British Club, however Ralph and Cynthia are more distracted by the upcoming inquest. Ralph conspires to get Aafrin onside by granting him a highly sought after promotion, while Cynthia’s attempts to coerce Alice lead to further tension between Alice and Ralph. Sooni finds herself in serious trouble when’s she’s arrested at a pro-independence rally. Sarah decides to retake control of her marriage and confronts Leena at the Sipi Fair. Armitage’s attempts to ignore his growing debt crisis finally come to a head.

There’s much excitement in Simla as the Viceroy arrives for the first of his summer visits. Ralph is troubled when he discovers that the only piece of evidence that linked Chandru Mohan to the Congress Party has gone missing. Aafrin is in danger when he discovers that Ralph has planned to do a search of the properties of all those who have had access to the stolen piece of evidence. Ian is forced to grow up very quickly when he receives some sad news about his uncle. Eugene threatens to return with Madeleine to Chicago. Sarah receives news from England that sheds light on Alice’s mysterious past.

Ralph’s attempts to take advantage of divisions amongst the Indian communities to further the British agenda prove risky when he invites a member of the Untouchable community to a lavish party held at Viceregal Lodge in honour of his engagement. Cynthia is left reeling when Eugene makes a revelation about his family’s finances. Sarah uses her knowledge of Alice’s secret past to blackmail her friend, placing Alice in a very difficult position. Ian receives a job offer from an unexpected source. Alice threatens to tell Ralph the truth about Aafrin’s role in the disappearance of the congress card. A face from Ralph’s past comes back to haunt him.

The pressure continues to mount on Ralph as Jaya reveals the real reason for her visit to Simla. A mountaineer saves Alice, Madeleine and Ronnie from a perilous situation and inveigles his way into Alice’s affectations. However, Alice is unaware that he has an ulterior motive and when he later reveals he knows the truth about her past he leaves her in no doubt as to what exactly his silence will cost. Darius puts pressure on Roshana to accept Sita into the Dalal family fold. Ramu is furious when he discovers that Jaya has stolen his late wife’s wedding dress. Dougie and Sarah work hard to rebuild their troubled marriage.