Will he discover her other secret?
This article contains discussions surrounding domestic abuse, including coercive control, that some readers may find upsetting.
Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) threatened wife Suki (Balvinder Sopal) in tonight’s EastEnders (7th March), after discovering that she coaxed their daughter Ash (Gurlaine Kaur Garcha) into taking a job in Canada.
Last week, viewers saw Suki renew her marriage vows to the abusive Nish — but the event only made her realise just how much Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) means to her, as she declared her true feelings at last.
Tonight, as unsuspecting Nish planned a special dinner with his wife, Suki got a message from Eve asking to see her. Suki lied to her husband, making out she had to go for a business meeting. At the Slaters’, though, she and Eve were interrupted by Freddie (Bobby Brazier) and Eve sighed, wishing that she and Suki could just have some peace.
Suki promised to arrange something, while over at the Minute Mart, Ash informed Nish that she had been contacted about the job she was previously offered abroad — and she now had a second chance to take it. Ash explained that Canada had been her dream, and asked for her dad’s advice.
Nish, not wanting her to leave, reminded her of the importance of family, and pointed out that the GP surgery had been bought especially for her. Left alone with Suki, Nish instructed her to stop Ash from taking the job. This came after Suki informed Nish that their business partnership in Leeds was at risk, hoping she could persuade him to take regular trips away.
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Suki then met up with Ash and made a deliberate point of telling her that she wasn’t good enough for the Canadian opportunity, knowing it would lead her to go for it. Angry, Ash decided she definitely would be taking the job, and Suki lied to Nish that she hadn’t managed to convince Ash to stay. Nish kept his cool, and Suki suggested they should play the long game and accept Ash’s decision.
Nish agreed, and they joined Ash, son Vinny (Shiv Jalota) and a flirty Finlay Baker (Ashley Byam) for drinks at The Vic. Suki approached a nearby Eve, filling her in on how she pretended to clip her daughter’s wings before adding that she had found a way for them to be alone together. But when Nish later spotted Suki staring fondly at a celebrating Ash, he realised that she had made sure their daughter took the job.
At home, he sat waiting for his wife where he confronted her on being as manipulative as he is. Suki tried to deny his accusations, but Nish made it clear that he wasn’t going to let her get away with this.
“You only know what freedom is if it’s taken away from you,” he said. “This is my family. I sit at the head. I decide what’s best for us. Don’t you ever forget that.”
Suki was left feeling uneasy, but can she escape Nish’s controlling grip?
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can visit Refuge for more information and contact 0808 2000 247 for support. Help can also be found at The Hideout.
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