Avani Nandra‑Hart’s world is thrown into chaos as a secret pregnancy collides with a bold offer from her grandmother, Suki Panesar. The teenager is overwhelmed after discovering she is expecting a child following a one-night stand with Joel Marshall. With her parents, Priya and Ravi, preoccupied by Ravi’s arrest, Avani turns to her close friend Barney Mitchell for emotional support. Unable to face her mother yet, she confides only in Barney, deeply torn over whether to keep the baby or proceed with an abortion.
The crisis comes to light unexpectedly when Suki catches Avani browsing a family planning website. Shocked, Suki confronts her granddaughter, who tearfully admits she’s pregnant and intends to terminate the pregnancy. This hits Suki hard—not only because of religious beliefs, but also echoes her own past decision when she was estranged from her daughter Ash for having an abortion decades ago. Suki, wracked with regret over how she treated Ash, sees this as a chance to atone.
Guided by a conversation with a Granthi and influenced by Jean Slater’s experience with teenage pregnancy, Suki proposes an extraordinary alternative: Avani should carry the baby to full term—but Suki and Eve Unwin will raise the child as their own. The offer is born from a mix of tradition, guilt, and a desire to protect the family name without shaming Avani. She pledges love and security to the unborn child, believing Avani may not be prepared for motherhood but the child still deserves life and belonging.
Avani is stunned. The suggestion forces her to pause and question everything. She grapples with conflicting emotions: gratitude for her grandmother’s willingness to help, shame over the scandal of teenage pregnancy, fear of raising a child at sixteen, and grief over losing control. Suki emphasizes the Panesar legacy, arguing that having a child raised within the family—even if not by its biological mother—is better than abortion. Avani’s mind races: could she go through pregnancy without being a mum? Could she let her own mother raise her baby as hers?
Avani leaves for her abortion appointment. While she’s gone, Suki quizzes Barney relentlessly: where is Avani going? When will she be home? The fear of losing her granddaughter to shame drives Suki to confront Barney directly. He refuses to betray Avani’s trust, leaving Suki isolated in her secrecy. When Avani returns, she is pale but resolute—she has confirmed the appointment and plans to go through with it.
Suki intercedes again, offering practical aid—counseling, accompaniment, even pretending to be a friend at the clinic—but Avani rebuffs her. She says she’s not ready to carry this baby, and that her future already feels forecasted, as though her choices no longer belong to her. Barney offers silent support while Avani sobs, torn. In private, Suki reflects on Ash’s disappearance abroad, her own broken bond with her daughter, and the family fractures that still hurt. Could Avani be repeating history for a second generation?
Meanwhile, Vinny departs for Ash’s engagement party in Canada, widening the emotional distance in the Panesar household. Eve — already wary of how Suki has ghosted her regarding deeper family matters — suspects something is wrong. Although Suki makes a half-apology for recent distance, she keeps Avani’s pregnancy a secret from Eve, adding another layer of guilt and deception to their marriage.
As the days pass, Avani’s decision edges closer. She is caught between Suki’s insistence and her own fear. Priya remains unaware, obsessing over Ravi’s legal troubles, and Avani can’t bring herself to tell her mother the truth. Barney urges her compassionately to consider Suki’s offer seriously—it might preserve the baby’s life and spare her from painful regrets.
Viewers are left in limbo about what Avani will choose. The narrative crescendos as tension builds: will she accept her grandmother’s offer, surrendering motherhood to security, or follow through with her planned abortion to regain control over her destiny? Suki’s plan could mean saving the child or pushing Avani to a silent sacrifice.
Two overarching truths drive the emotional core: Suki seeks redemption from her past rejection of Ash, while Avani yearns for autonomy over her body and future. Their desires collide at the intersection of love, tradition, and tragedy. If Avani keeps the baby, the Panesar name is preserved—but at what emotional cost to her? If she chooses abortion, she protects her life path but potentially breaks a family bond.
Amid the moral storm, the show layers additional pressure: rumors start circulating in Albert Square, someone spots Avani at the clinic, and whispers begin about why Suki is so uncharacteristically involved. A confrontation with Barney or even Eve seems imminent, one that could expose secrets and force Avani’s hand. The baby decision becomes symbolic of much more—legacy, forgiveness, generational pain, and identity.
Fans online have responded strongly to this arc. Reddit discussions gush over Aaliyah James’s performance as Avani, praising her emotional depth in portraying this difficult decision-making journey. One viewer commented: > “Such real scriptwriting between Avani and Priya… asking Suki to fight for her felt powerful” Another noted that Suki’s arrival with her offer added layers to her character, reflecting the show’s ongoing exploration of tradition versus modernity within the Panesar clan.
Next week’s episodes promise a turning point: a final confrontation between Avani and Suki, potential revelations to Eve, and consequences that could ripple across family lines. Some spoilers hint that Avani might confide in Eve or Priya after scenes escalate. Will she make peace with Suki’s proposal or break the cycle entirely?
In the end, Avani’s baby decision reveals much about both young and old generations: about expectations, guilt, love, and redemption. It’s a multifaceted dilemma where no choice is undeniably right. As viewers watch Avani stand at this crossroads, they’re invited to ask: what would they choose? A cruel offer or a courageous decision? EastEnders holds the family mirror up, and the answer may surprise everyone.
Would you like a breakdown of specific scenes or predictions on how Suki and Eve’s marriage may be affected if the secret is revealed?