Sania-Shoaib wedding plans on, for now at least

Is her marriage in trouble again? Sania Mirza does not think so. But the controversy involving Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, her fiance, is certainly proving to be a dampener for the Indian tennis star.

“We are getting married on April 15. But it is unfortunate that we are standing in front of the media and talking about a first marriage, second marriage or third marriage,” Sania, who called off her engagement with Hyderabad businessman Sohrab Mirza recently, told reporters.

Though unconfirmed, sources said Imran Mirza, Sania’s father, is not taking the developments lightly and is worried about the legal tangle his future son-in-law has got into. The sources also said that Sania’s parents are prepared to delay the marriage till Malik emerges clean, but she is insistent on sticking to the schedule.
She came out in public supporting her would-be husband for the first time on Monday as the dispute over Malik’s alleged first marriage threatened to blow up into a diplomatic row involving India and Pakistan.

“The marriage is not going to be that easy,” sources said. The original plan was to host a reception in Hyderabad on April 15 and then have a formal valima in Lahore on April 16 before proceeding on a honeymoon to either Seychelles or Mauritius.

Going by the investigators handling the complaint lodged by Malik’s alleged first wife Ayesha Siddiqui, it’s going to take sometime before the truth is unravelled. “Chances that Malik would get a clean chit in the next 10 days and get back his passport are bleak,” sources told DNA.

If the passport is not handed over to Malik by April 15, it would be difficult for the couple to travel out of India. But police officials are promising to focus only on the charges levelled against him by Ayesha and not worry about what happens to Malik and Sania once they are married.

In fact, the joint media briefing of Malik and Sania has not helped clearing the air. The cricketer even challenged Ayesha to make a public appearance. “I am facing the cameras. Why is she (Ayesha) talking from behind the cameras?” he questioned. He insisted that he only met Maha apa (elder sister) and not the girl called Ayesha.

Though he had reportedly told the police during the questioning that his signature on the nikahnama was forged, he confirmed to the media during the briefing that he did sign the nikahnama.
Standing by Malik’s side, Sania too made an attempt to attack the Siddiquis though claiming that the alleged victims are their family friends. “You can ask people around on what kind of people we are and what they (the Siddiquis) are,” she said. But Malik did look uncomfortable each time Sania talked about “leading a happy life and enjoying the happy moments”.