'EastEnders can do Avani's pregnancy story justice - here's why I hope they don't stray'
It was an emotional week on EastEnders last week as Avani Nandra-Hart found out she was pregnant with teenage villain Joel's child. Those eager fans (like myself) who love to dig into the spoilers every Tuesday were aware of the storyline before it had aired.
However, for those who wanted to keep it a surprise, the shock revelation came last week when she took a pregnancy test in front of Barney Mitchell. Avani was adamant she was going to have an abortion - but grandmother Suki has other ideas.
As I was scrolling through X, formerly known as Twitter, when the spoilers were released, I noticed a number of people calling the teen pregnancy storyline "repetitive" and "boring," however, I disagree.
Yes, EastEnders have showcased a number of teen pregnancy storylines – including Lily Slater, who fell pregnant at just 12 years old. In the earlier days, Sonia fell pregnant at 15 with Martin Fowler 's baby, unaware of her pregnancy when she went into labour. However, as a British Indian like the Panesars – I'm glad they're shedding ligh on a taboo subject in the community.
Despite Avani, understandably, not wanting any of her family to find out – Suki put two and two together after seeing her searching up abortions on her laptop.
Suki's initial reaction was heartwarming, as she told her granddaughter she was there if she needed to talk to someone. Despite the obvious initial shock, Suki remained cool, calm and collected, advising Avani she needed to speak to her parents.
I was really glad to see this, as a number of teenagers in the same position as Avani would do all they can to hide their pregnancy from their family, especially the older generation in fear of how they would react. In many cases, this would mean they'd go through the scary situation alone and I hope Suki's initial reaction helps them realise that they don't have to be alone.
However, things took a turn in tonight's episode, when Suki went to visit a Granthi for advice – telling him her granddaughter was "in turmoil." The Granthi then told Suki that all she can do is support her granddaughter – as he warned her she could face a similar outcome with Avani if she pushes her not to have the abortion.
She later went home, and shockingly told Avani she would raise the baby as her own, with many complaints on social media. For me, I would have loved to see Suki have another heart-to-heart with Avani after speaking to the Granthi – but instead she came up with an outrageous idea. Trying to push Avani not to have an abortion - Suki said she would raise the child as her own.
I hope this is just Suki reacting with panic, and Eve talks some sense into her. If EastEnders continue to stray with an unrealistic storyline, I fear this could push those in a similar situation one step back, rather than helping them to confide in their families or get help elsewhere.
In addition to this - Suki trying to control Avani's decision and not supporting her in what she wants to do may also give off the same message. I'd love to see Suki playing the supportive grandma role it looked like she was about to play at the start. Hopefully after she calms down, she comes to her senses and we see the character we've all grown to love in recent years.
Viewers are also yet to see Ravi's reaction, and with his hot head, it's almost expected he's going to lose the plot. However, we have seen a softer side of Ravi, especially after Avani was strip searched by the police.
We saw a softer side of Ravi during that ordeal, and I'm hoping that's the side we see if and when he finally finds out about his daughter's pregnancy, as I believe it will encourage many others who find themselves in that position to speak up.
The soap has a great chance to portray this in a way that can help others, like they have done with similar storylines before. Suki herself was involved in a huge storyline, as herself and Eve became the first lesbian couple to wed on the Sqaure. It came after Suki escaped her abusive ex-husband Nish Panesar – which was an extremely sensitive story, handled in exactly the right way.
The Panesars have been a great addition to EastEnders – and a great representation for the South Asian community. They've tackled a number of taboo subjects, and I'm hopeful this will continue far into the future.
I'm interested to see what turn the storyline takes and I'm sure EastEnders will do it justice. I'm just hoping they don't take a wrong turn.
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