There were emotional scenes in Monday (August 14)’s Emmerdale as Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson) assembled his family to say a last goodbye to beloved grandfather, father and uncle Rishi (Bhasker Patel), in a place that had been special to him.

Rishi died suddenly as the result of an accidental fall at his home. He’d been on his way to Jai and Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy)’s wedding and was dressed up in a new suit and looking forward to mending the rift that had developed between him and his son since Jai discovered that Rishi wasn’t his biological father.

Jai was the one to find his father as he went to the house the next morning after Rishi failed to show up at the wedding. When he saw his dad’s lifeless body, Jai was distraught. He realised that in the end biology hadn’t meant anything. Rishi had been the most loving and caring of fathers and it tore Jai apart to think he would never be able to make amends for the things he’d said to him in the days before his death.

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Rishi’s funeral was in India and Jai ended up going there alone, as Laurel was kidnapped by Colin Hamston (Mark Noble) on her way to the airport. Jai returned and had that to deal with, so this episode was the first time he’d had a chance to think about what to do with Rishi’s ashes.

He decided that he’d like the family to have a picnic by the river at a special place where they’d enjoyed family times with Rishi when the children were younger. Suni (Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana) joined Jai, Laurel, Arthur (Alfie Clarke), Archie (Kai Assi) and Dotty (Tilly-Rue Foster).

Jai explained to Archie that in Hindu culture people believe that scattering the ashes in water helps the person’s soul move on to their next life better. ‘I brought Granddad home so we could scatter him in a place that’s important to him, with people that he loved.’

They took the box containing the ashes to the bridge. There were flowers on the top of the box and everyone took one each.

An emotional Jai spoke some words to his late father, thanking him for looking after them all, ‘And for loving us all.’ He said that if he turns out to be half the dad Rishi was, he’ll be happy.

As everyone sang the Hindu mantra ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ Jai scattered the ashes into the water and the family threw their flowers to float on top.

‘I love you Dad,’ Jai said through his tears.

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