Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Suni Sharma has been hospitalised in Emmerdale after becoming the victim of a homophobic attack.
The shocking scenes occurred in Thursday's (November 30) episode, which had started off on a happy note with Suni's father Amit finally making peace with his long-lost son Jai.
On a night out at a local club, Gabby Thomas was joined by newcomer Mike and his mates while Suni finally had a chance to have his own reconciliation with Nicky.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked about your dad like that. It's not my place to tell you what to think or do," Nicky admitted.
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There were signs that Mike was homophobic when he made a crude remark about Nicky's one-time engagement to Gabby. When Suni and Nicky shared a kiss, Mike snapped at the two men.
He taunted them by saying they weren't in a "gay bar", leading Suni to stand up to him. Mike and his mates followed the couple outside where two of them grabbed Nicky while Mike stalked Suni.
Mike knocked Suni's phone out of his hand and then kicked him repeatedly after being branded a "pig" by his victim. Nicky could only scream for help as two of Mike's thugs held him back.
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Mike then attacked Nicky, before finally being stopped by Gabby and Ethan arriving on the scene. Gabby rushed to the unconscious Suni's side as Ethan desperately placed a call for an ambulance.
The episode ended on the heart-wrenching moment where Nicky declared his love for Suni while his boyfriend was being rushed away to hospital.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Anyone who has witnessed or experienced a hate crime is urged to call the police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit the True Vision website. In an emergency, always dial 999.
