Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson tells Soaplife how Jai is very worried when Rachel makes contact…
Jai Sharma would have done anything to get his son Archie back, but now the lad is home, the factory boss is starting to worry about the whereabouts of his mum Rachel. He lied about getting Archie from her and constant questions from Ali are stressing him out. But on Archie’s birthday, everyone is surprised when a present is delivered from Rachel.
“Jai is secretly worried about Rachel’s welfare,” says Chris to Soaplife. “But when the gift arrives, it means that Rachel is still alive and might potentially come back for Archie…”
Jai loves being a dad to Archie, doesn’t he?
“Yes, but Archie doesn’t seem to have settled as well with Jai as he has done with Megan [Gaynor Faye] so that’s a little bit frustrating. His main concern, though, is that they are back from holiday and Ali is on his case about Rachel.”
What is Ali (Kelli Hollis) worried about?
“She is concerned that Rachel hasn’t been in touch on Archie’s birthday or sent a card or a gift. It’s not the sort of thing she would do and it’s making alarm bells ring. She believes that something sinister has gone on - and so does Jai.”
What can Jai do?
“He is sticking to the same story – namely that he met Rachel who gave him Archie and asked for money to go into rehab. Obviously, he never met her and that is the story given to him by the middle man but, at the time, Jai had to get Archie back any way he could. He was in the back of a car with a stranger and Jai had to get him back for his own protection. In that process, he fell short of the mark when it came to Rachel.”
What does Jai think has happened to Rachel?
“He is starting to think that there may be more to this story than he is prepared to believe. He keeps hoping that everything will be fine and that the bloke who gave him Archie clearly knew Rachel. He is trying to cling onto the idea that everything is as he said it was, but deep down he probably thinks that isn’t true.”
Then Megan arranges a party for Archie and invites Ali and Ruby…
“Jai wants to keep Ali and Ruby [Alicya Eyo] as far away as possible because they bring problems and questions that he can’t answer and he is having to spin a larger web of lies to cover his tracks. Megan, however, manages to convince him that it is better to have your enemies close and convince them that there is nothing to hide by being transparent.”
What happens at the party?
“It is all very awkward. Ali gives Archie a scabby old teddy bear that was Rachel’s when she was a baby and Jai is snobby and aloof about it. Then there is a knock at the door and a parcel arrives. It’s a birthday present for Archie from Rachel.”
How does everyone react?
“Ali is elated that Rachel has made contact, but she is disappointed that she hasn’t made it with her. Jai is shocked… He is delighted that Rachel is not dead - but if Rachel is still alive she might want Archie back and that is Jai’s worst fear.”
Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times.
