"Like in the Time of Cholera" deepens the complex relationships between the main characters, often highlighting the theme of finding a "better way" to do bad things.
: To secure the slum, Lin facilitates a meeting between Khader and Qasim Ali, the slum’s headman. Khader offers a deal: in exchange for their support, he promises to provide the community with power, plumbing, education, and employment before any eventual construction begins. "Shantaram" Episode #1.8(2022)
: Lin's debt to Khader grows, a fact that troubles Qasim Ali. Despite feeling cheated by Khader’s ultimate plans for the land, Lin recognizes that Khader is not purely "vile" and chooses to trust him as the lesser of two evils for the community's sake. "Like in the Time of Cholera" deepens the
The episode centers on a brewing conflict over the ownership of the Sagar Wada slum land. Lin, still recovering from illness with the help of Karla, finds himself at the heart of a power struggle between the crime lord Khader Khan and his rival Walid Shah. : Lin's debt to Khader grows, a fact that troubles Qasim Ali