Poor Carmel Kazemi is really struggling with the loss of her youngest son Shakil in EastEnders next week so she’s left utterly devastated when her ex-husband Umar drops another bombshell on her.
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Umar and Darius – Carmel’s other son – arrive back in Walford while Kush and Denise busily try to comfort Carmel over her loss but Kush is astonished when Umar tells him he should still go to Dubai with him.
As grieving Carmel spots a shrine for Shakil in the Square and – unable to cope with her sorrow – tears it down, Umar lets slip that Kush is still thinking about going to Dubai, leaving her devastated.
Meanwhile Kush worries about leaving his mum as her friends and family grown concerned for her as she sets her mind on finding Shakil’s watch that’s gone missing.
Carmel is still at a loss when, later in the week, Linda Carter organises a vigil in the Square for the locals to remember Shakil.
Denise and Sharon try to persuade Carmel to go, but she’s absolutely beside herself with grief and refuses. She changes her mind and – as Linda head up a minute’s silence – Carmel joins the rest of the Square as they remember her son.
Shakil was stabbed in scenes airing this week after getting caught up with a gang of thugs when his school friend Keegan Baker steals one of their bikes.
As the rest of the Square celebrate the Royal Wedding, Shakil and Keegan both lie seriously injured after being attacked by the gang who are carrying knives.
The knife crime storyline comes ten years after former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella lost her brother Ben to a stabbing in London.
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She worked closely with the soap on the storyline to highlight the fact that knife crime is still a huge problem in the country.
Brooke said of the shocking storyline: “The pain will never go away. I commend EastEnders for choosing to portray the realities of knife crime. It destroys lives.
“This storyline will bring home how it damages lives of victims, offenders, their families and friends for ever.”
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