As independence nears, Sir Cyril Radcliffe is handed the monumental task of drawing the borders to partition a land he knows nothing about. Congress and Muslim League leaders feverishly speculate over which town will fall on which side of the border, as communal tensions continue to flare across the country.
India and Pakistan prepare for their respective days of independence, but the celebrations are fraught with tension and violence. India steps into a new era at the midnight hour, but partition and the division of the army loom large.
The Boundary Award is announced, igniting outrage on both sides. Gripped by fear, a mass exodus of minorities across the border begins as Nehru and Patel grapple with the consequences of partition. Punjab descends into chaos and horror while Gandhi tries to save Bengal from the same fate. And one refugee vows revenge against the Mahatma.
Sardar Patel, V.P. Menon, and Lord Mountbatten strategically approach the various princely states to solidify their accession into India. But the Nawabs and Maharajas of some states refuse to accede without a fight.
A tribal invasion into Kashmir instigates the first war between India and Pakistan. Amid the tension in the war-room, Nehru and Patel form opposing views on how to find an end to the war.
Gandhi announces a fast unto death to help restore some semblance of peace between the two communities, and nations. Nehru and Patel have a falling out over the state of the country. Madanlal Pahwa and his allies make their way to Delhi to carry out their sinister plan.
Gandhi deals with the growing rift between Nehru and Patel. An unknown gunman makes his way to the daily prayer meet held at Birla House. The nation is forced to confront its grief.