by Subhash K Jha

At 2 pm yesterday, Salma Khan received a message from her son Sohail. "Mama, your son is coming home..."

"Yes, he's free again," Sohail could barely contain his joy after the bail. "Everyone has been praying so hard, all of us –his friends and family—are here. The good wishes had to show results. I haven't met him yet," said Sohail in the afternoon.

"But we're going to the hotel where Salmanbhai will reach. We return to Mumbai either tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on the availability of the flight."

Salman Khan was finally granted bail in Jodhpur. By late-afternoon word that the mega-star was a free man spread like wildfire. Crowds jostled outside the prison in Jodhpur for a glimpse of the star.

Priyanka Chopra who is shooting in Malaysia for Don was one of the first to hear the good news.

"I'm so so so happy for Salman. He's such a wonderful humanbeing. Not just Salman, everyone in his family is a gem. And they don't deserve this kind of stress. I'm looking forward to shooting with Salman again for Rumi Jaffrey's God Tussi Great Ho."

But the first unit to be out would be brother Sohail's Partner. Sounding relieved and happy Sohail spoke to me half an hour after his brother's bail. "We've secured a bail for Bhai. Now we're trying to get a travel bail. Only then can we think of work. Right now we're much too happy and relieved to think of anything but him being out."

Sohail admits there was a delay in the courtroom on Thursday morning. "We really don't know why. And now I don't care. The important thing is, Salman-bhai is out. God willing, he'll never have to see the inside of a prison cell again."