M A I N   N E W S

Finally, Sania, Shoaib say ‘kabool hai’
Their wedding was originally scheduled for April 15
Suresh Dharur
Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, April 12
After several twists and turns, the cross-border romance of tennis star Sania Mirza and cricketer Shoaib Malik reached a fairytale climax today. The sporting icons of the hostile Asian neighbours tied the knot at a simple ceremony in a star hotel here in the presence of family members and a select group of invitees.

The climax was rather dramatic as the Mirzas advanced the marriage, which was originally scheduled for April 15. The media, which has been breathlessly covering the controversy surrounding the high-profile affair, did not have any inkling of the ‘nikah’ ceremony till a formal announcement was made.

Sania (23) and Shoaib (28) signed the ‘nikahnama’ in the presence of a ‘qazi’ and two witnesses from each side. The wedding took place at the majestic Ball Room in Taj Krishna hotel, which was kept out of bounds for the media.

Following a family tradition, Sania wore a bright red saree that her mother had worn 25 years ago for her ‘nikah’ while Shoaib wore a black sherwani designed by Shantanu and Nikhil. Earlier, amidst drum beats, the bride left her residence in the upmarket Jubliee Hills in a black Mercedes Benz and reached the hotel in the afternoon. She was accompanied by her father Imran Mirza, mother Naseema, younger sister Anam and a few close relatives.

After several days of tension, suspense and legal hurdles, it was a celebration mood at the Mirzas’ house. ‘Mehendi’ is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by a ‘sangeet’ the day after. Sania and Shoaib are said to be practicing their dance numbers with the help of professional choreographers.

A grand reception will be held at Taj Krishna on April 15, for which over 1,000 invitations have been sent. A delegation from Pakistan is also expected to arrive.

Shoaib's close family members, including his mother, brother, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew, are already here and some more relatives and friends are expected for the reception. The cross-border romantic saga had all the trappings of a Bollywood blockbuster, complete with elements of love, betrayal and crime.

The controversies began the day the two sports stars announced their wedding plans on March 29 with Hyderabadi girl Ayesha Siddiqui claiming that she was the first wife of the Pakistani cricketer and accused him of cheating her.

Ever since the Pakistani cricketer made a dramatic appearance at Sania’s house 10 days ago to clear the air surrounding his first marriage, an intense drama was played out before live television cameras. First, a criminal case was filed against the cricketer based on a complaint by Ayesha and then his passport was seized by the police.

After a bitter war of words, allegations and counter allegations, Shoaib finally agreed to divorce Ayesha, paving the way for his marriage with the tennis star.