by Subhash K Jha

On Thursday addicts of Jassi Jaisi...Koi Nahin are in for a surprise. The farewell episode takes viewers right into 'Jassi' Mona Singh's residence on Lokhandwala in the suburbs of Mumbai.

"It's such a beautiful send-off," sighs Mona as she looks at her first vacation in three years with a mixture of fear, grief and nervousness. "In the last episode to be telecast on Thursday the real and reel Jassi come together.

My fictional family from the soap will merge with my real family. We've shot in my own home with my parents, my elder sister who's flown down from New Zealand to be with me now that I'm free, and her son. So it's like one large joint family saying bye."

The goodbye to Jassi isn't quite what Mona had thought it would be. "I thought I'd do cartwheels of excitement when Jassi finished. But on the last day I cried and cried. The funniest thing was, I was supposed to laugh in my last shot. But I couldn't bring myself to laugh.

I was so sad to leave behind the serial. Jassi had become a part of my life. The characters were my family. I ceased to be Mona I became Jassi for three years. So of course there's bound to be a feeling of emptiness."

But with that emptiness is the feeling of relief. "I can finally take a holiday. In fact I'm leaving for a 20-day holiday to Kerala with my family. I think I've earned this break. But I plan to return to television after the break. I can't give up what I've earned with such difficulty. Jassi has given me everything. I've several offers.

In fact my Jassi directors Deya and Tony Singh are in discussion right now for another serial. Let's see. I'm definitely taking up another soap, though the thought of another daily fills me with dread right now.

But viewers' memories are short. And I wouldn't like to lose what I've gained through television. So eventhough I've a movie on hand I'll definitely do another serial. I see myself as a television actor first."

Mona isn't averse to a sequel to Jassi. "Deya-Tony Singh and I've talked about it. I'm game as long as it remains interesting. Serials should end before they begin to drag their feet."

For now she's looking forward to a personal life. "I mean a personal FAMILY life. There's no chance of a man coming into my life right now. Door-door tak koi nazar nahin aata."