Dev takes action for Asha
AS HIS DAUGHTER BREAKS DOWN, DEV TAKES ACTION…
There’s more horror for Asha this week, as her family is dragged into the nightmare of her naked video going viral.
First, her twin brother Aadi steps in to defend his sister, prompting a violent brawl in the middle of Victoria Gardens. But worse is to come when her dad Dev discovers the secret shame his beloved daughter has been hiding – and he heads straight for the nearest police station!
“Dev is so angry and disgusted with Asha,” sighs Tanisha Gorey, who plays Asha. “He even invokes Asha’s mum Sunita’s memory – and
he’s barely talked about her since her death. That really hits home, and shows just how upset he is.”
Asha’s week has already got off to another appalling start, after her dad insists that she joins Mary’s youth volunteering group, to help with a tidy-up of Victoria Gardens. And it’s while the teens are gathered for this good work that Aadi notices one of the other lads laughing at Asha – and he immediately sees red…
“Everywhere Asha looks, she finds herself getting trolled,” shares Tanisha. “People are constantly staring at her and talking about her – she can’t escape it. At school people are laughing at her, strangers are commenting as she walks down the street, and there are comments online. Day by day there’s something new. Every day it escalates, and there’s something else for her to deal with.”
However, although Aadi leaps to his sister’s defence, it’s the last thing Asha wants – particularly as a violent brawl then breaks out between the boys. Mary is mortified when the scuffle escalates – but it’s the least of Asha’s trauma as she receives a new link to her naked video on a porn site…
She’s still beside herself with shame and anxiety when Corey – who asked Asha to take her top off for him in the first place – apologises for recording her without her consent. Meanwhile, Asha’s pal Amy gets into a major row with Kelly over who is actually responsible for her friend’s nightmare. But sadly, poor Asha continues to blame herself…
“Asha has always suspected this was Cory’s doing, as he was the only person who should have seen it,” explains Tanisha. “She thought she could trust him, and she feels betrayed. Yet she also feels it’s down to her own wrongdoing, so doesn’t want anyone else knowing about it. She’s humiliated.”
There’s nothing Asha can do to prevent the situation getting out of control, however, once David sees Asha’s video on his son Max’s phone – and wastes no time informing Dev…
“Of course Dev is very angry, but as he and Aadi start to witness the trolling Asha’s going through, they jump over to her side and go into protective mode,” reveals Tanisha. “They realise that whatever she’s done, she doesn’t deserve all of this. But Asha is so embarrassed that her dad and brother have seen her in that way, and it affects her both mentally and physically…”
As Asha breaks down in her father’s arms, she begs him not to go to the police. Although Dev initially agrees to this – albeit reluctantly – after Aadi tells him the video has appeared on the internet, he feels he has no choice but to report those he believes are responsible. Asha is furious to find out he’s broken his word. However, are the culprits about to get what they deserve?