Well Cynthia Coffin’s dreams certainly came true in this episode didn’t it? It couldn’t have turned out better if she had planted evidence herself. Her performance on the witness stand at Ramu Sood’s trial was so much more convincing than her performance as Lady Bracknell. Perhaps barrister Hugh Slater is a much better director than Ronnie Keane. So determined is she to make sure that Sood hangs, she even forces Eugene to give up his room to the lawyer. Eugene complains loudly that sleeping in his new damp room will exacerbate his consumption but Cynthia doesn’t care now that she knows Eugene and Madeline are broke. And where was Madeline in this episode? Ever since she and Ralph became engaged, her role has diminished in this series. It’s as if the writers have lost interest in the Mathers siblings.

The trial is the social event of the season in Simla. The court is packed with spectators, sharing sandwiches and gossip as the trial gets underway. Sarah Raworth is happy as a clam since she’s seated with the in-crowd in the courtroom. Ramu’s plan was to defend himself, which would have been a huge mistake. Fortunately his family hired Vinod Mukesh to defend him, assisted by Sooni, who is seeking a place at a law college. Unfortunately the case against Ramu is strong, he had a motive for killing Jaya (the stolen sari), he tried to evade arrest, and then there is the matter of the coerced confession. Mukesh, however, feels that they have a good chance at winning, especially with Ian McLeod’s testimony. If only Ramu was as convinced as Mukesh that Ian testifying is a good idea. Instead, he tells Ian that once he’s in the witness box, the prosecution will make a fool out of him, branding him a drunk like his uncle.

Outfitted in a demure dress and hat, Cynthia takes the stand and proceeds to paint Ramu as a violent animal. She implies that Ramu Sood hounded Stafford Armitage to repay his debt, going so far as to physically assault him at the fair without provocation. Her lips trembling as she recounts how Armitage only wanted to go home to Scotland but never made it because of his heart. “I think he’s very lucky that he’s only charged with one murder,” she announces to the court, before delicately wiping away imaginary tears. Taking his cue from Cynthia, Hugh Slater harps on the death of Sood’s wife and child, which sends Ramu into a rage on the witness stand, thus proving Cynthia’s point. Very clever. She also manages to imply that Stafford Armitage may have been Adam’s father. Things go from bad to worse when a laundryman testifies that he saw the killer running away the night of the murder and he was almost certainly Indian. He found chappals (sandals) the killer abandoned on a rock. Hugh implies that, of course, no British gentleman would be caught dead wearing sandals.

Dougie hasn’t been able to bring himself to cash the check that Ralph Whelan gave him. Leena wants to go to Mukesh, to tell him that Ralph Whelan maybe Adam’s father but Dougie discourages her. Ralph, who should know better, shows up at the mission school. When Adam sees him, he runs into the forest. That’s enough for Leena to decide to testify. She tells the court that Jaya brought Adam to Simla to meet his father, a man she calls ‘Devil’ (which is the same name that Chandru Mohan called Ralph before he attempted to kill him). However when Dougie shakes his head, she refuses to give up the name of the father. For her pains, Mukesh paints her as a jealous woman with a motive to murder Jaya after their fight over Adam. Dougie is so upset at Leena’s treatment in court that he stands up to protest, causing Sarah to vomit. Later weeping, she tells Dougie how he’s ruined everything, people were beginning to like her until he humiliated her in public.

Sooni is sent by Mukesh to fetch Ian to testify since they have seem to have a rapport. Mrs. Dalal refuses to let Sooni go by herself so Aafrin agrees to accompany her but Ian has disappeared, off on a bender. Sooni finally locates him and they bond over their mutual hatred of the English and the poems of Rudyard Kipling. Cleaned up, Ian testifies in court that he saw Ramu on the verandah of his house when he heard a woman scream in the woods. Hugh Slater rips Ian and his testimony to shreds implying that he is a drunk, a liar and a traitor to his own people. Before the judge even opens his mouth, it’s clear what the verdict is going to be. Sood is found guilty and sentenced to hang. Justice definitely was not served in this case.

Aafrin is also not having a very good episode this week. When he shares the good news with Ralph that Gandhi has not only ended his hunger strike but also struck a deal with the Untouchables leader, guaranteeing them 148 seats in the legislature (more than Ramsay Macdonald proposed), Ronnie jokes that perhaps they should send him a hamper from Fortnum’s. Aafrin snaps “Is this a game for you? When you leave it will be us who are picking up the pieces, living your plans.” Despite his families acceptance of Sita (they even give her advice about Aafrin, that he has bad breath and is always late), Aafrin still has deep feelings for Alice. When Sooni insists that she never received the note from Sita, Aafrin tries to apologize to Alice for doubting her. At first she’s cold to him, but finally succumbs to the attraction between them. However, Aafrin insists that he can’t desert Sita, she would be ruined. When Alice tries to compare her situation to Sita, Aafrin points out that Sita ‘Has no Indian to run to.” When Sita and Aafrin meet in their usual trysting place in the graveyard, Aafrin breaks it off with her, leaving Sita distraught and desperate.

Dougie sends the check back to Ralph with a note stating that he doesn’t know what Ralph wants but neither he nor the children are for sale. Ralph angrily rips the letter up and storms away. The camera follows his movements with a close-up of the Indian chappals on his feet.