A beloved EastEnders character could be set for a huge paternity bombshell, fans have claimed.
Last year, bad-guy-turned-good Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) had his world turned upside down when ex-Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) rocked up to Walford – and she wasn’t alone.
Priya showed up with Ravi’s daughter, Avani (Aaliyah James). At the time, Ravi had no idea he had a secret daughter – leaving him and the rest of the Panesar family stunned.
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And it didn’t take long for Priya and Avani to cause plenty of drama. The pair also have left plenty of fans suspicious throughout their stint in Walford.
When quizzed about getting a passport, the mother and daughter duo looked startled – and things took a more cryptic turn when Priya was pressed to get Avani to start back at school.
Priya and Avani have since settled into Walford life – but over in the soap this week, things have taken a dramatic turn. In a bid to secure a stronger financial future for her family, Priya made an unexpected proposal to her kid’s grandfather Nish.
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She promised to make his last few months “enjoyable” and the pair locked lips – with Nugget, Priya’s son and Avani’s brother, Nugget, watching on from the window.
However, the youngster then collapsed to the floor, following the effects of his recent steroid use. And in Tuesday’s episode (July 2) uploaded to iPlayer, Nugget was rushed to the hospital. Now, fans are predicting that a huge paternity bombshell is in store – and it’s not looking good for Ravi.
On a Reddit thread, one fan wrote: “Do you think Ravi is really Avani’s father? So, after today’s episode I’m starting to wonder if there’s going to be a twist and Ravi isn’t Avani’s dad after all?
“When Priya and Avani first arrived she had that talk with Ravi about how Ranveer had tried to forcibly come on to her like he did with many other women (Suki, business partners) so she ran before she could tell Ravi she was pregnant again.
“There was some speculation when Priya first arrived that Avani could be Ranveer’s daughter, especially when Nish was trying to get Avani a new passport so she could be registered in school and Priya was against the idea.
“We all know that Priya is an opportunist and today’s episode proved she will go to any lengths to ensure her kids are provided for – even if those lengths are dangerous.
Could you see there being a surprise revelation coming up? Especially with the developments with Nugget this week?”
Other fans chimed in and shared their thoughts. A second person wrote: “Maybe. And the fact she was willing to jump to his side when he was sick after knowing what he did to Suki and Eve might be because of her own trauma bonds to the guy.
“Convinced herself it was fine just like she convinced herself having a sexual relationship with her dealer at the time wasn’t an unhealthy situation. She’s a manipulative swindler but something still makes me feel icky about that dynamic and wonder how much of her b**** act is a front.”
A third agreed: “I’ve always thought that they are either sisters or that Avani is Ranveer’s daughter. When Linda was handing out flyers about Dean. Priya who was very new on The Square made a very pointed comment to her “to keep it up” or some such. Which linked with what she had said about Ranveer’s behaviour.”
