LIFE in the Dales has been somewhat quieter for Jai Sharma and Laurel Thomas.
However, another secret soon comes to light in Emmerdale and Laurel is worried about the impact it could have on her partner.
Laurel and Jai take their relationship to the next level in upcoming weeks
They’ve been taking care of Marshall Hamston
And while that entailed heartache, their relationship has been thriving
Jai Sharma (played by Chris Bisson) has managed to gain back Laurel Thomas’ trust in recent months, although it seemed like the pair may never get along again.
The couple have most recently taken in troubled teen Marshall who was being abused by his homophobic father.
During a chat with HOAR and other press, actor Chris Bisson explained that, despite Marshall’s hardship, all is well for the lovebirds.
“Things are good between Laurel and Jai”, he initially explained.
“They’ve been getting on really well, we’ve been playing lots of scenes in which we’ve been close to each other, planning a holiday with the kids.”
“Marshall and Arthur are causing a few problems but their relationship is really good and strong.”
And when a mix-up leads him to book a honeymoon suite for a family holiday, Laurel sees this as a sign they are ready to get married.
In scenes airing soon on ITV, Laurel proposes to a surprised Jai.
“He’s not getting the gist of the conversation but we do that a lot in soaps. I think he’s just surprised at first because he doesn’t see it coming and then he is a bit more playful”, Chris teased.
But when the search for a divorce paper in his father Rishi’s home leads him to make a huge discovery, Jai’s old demons could resurface.
Regular viewers of the Yorkshire-based drama will remember that both Jai and Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) are former addicts and there’s always a chance for them to relapse.
The pair have managed to remain on top of their addiction but have always experience difficulty when trying to keep themselves in check.
As mentioned above, Jai finds out his family, particularly his father Rishi, are keeping a huge secret.
Laurel thus grows increasingly scared he could be distracted from their upcoming nuptials and thrown into a downward spiral.
“It’s overshadowed the engagement because it’s preoccupying him”, Chris admitted.
However, he was immediately reassuring – Jai may find it in him to not let his addictions get the best of him.
“Jai is trying to drive through with the engagement and the wedding plans. He’s trying to push that through as a distraction and something positive that he can focus on, rather than dwelling on the past.”
In fact, Laurel could even be the one to help Jai face the consequences of his discovery, particularly as Rishi will refuse to give him the entire truth.
“She’s calmer about it because it doesn’t affect her in the same way and she’s more objective, more pragmatic but that doesn’t change things for Jai.”
“It’s not enough to talk him round and I think what is hurting Jai more than anything is that Rishi continues to hide further information.”
To make matters worse, Jai will be shocked to realise that Manpreet Sharma knew all about his big family secret and a huge feud could be looming on the horizon.
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.
Jai makes a huge discovery about his family
Could Laurel help make peace with it?
