‘The Tribune-Chatterati’- 12th.April.2010

Delhi, quiet on cross-border talks for a bit, had got a little nervous when Sania Mirza’s forthcoming marriage to Shoaib Malik opened a debate on the ethics of cross-border weddings. But we have already had some rather sensitive cross-border marriages in India which have worked well till now. Just a few months back the JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik too got much visibility when he married a Pakistani painter Mashal. Cross-border marriages do fortunately have a long history and Mashal was given a rousing reception on her maiden visit to Kashmir last year.
Marriage after all is a personal decision. Even one of our former Chief Ministers currently has a companion from across-the border. They are happy and now look rather well settled. It has made no difference to their professional lives so far. Sania is our national pride and she fortunately will remain so even after marriage to the former Cricket Captain of Pakistan. Fortunately despite TV hysteria, no official “Delhi Statements” on the matter, ensured there were no red faces at the end.
Pak Cricketers and India’s leading ladies have always been rather attracted to each other, currently for example there is a buzz about Sushmita Sen being amoursly entwined with naughty boy Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram. And now that the Shoaib row has been amicably settled, Delhi will await, with the rest of the country, the hullabaloo around the nuptials in mid April.