Hyderabad , April 5: Tennis star Sania Mirza was irritable during an interaction with the media here on Monday afternoon along with her would-be husband Shoaib Malik, who was seen sweating profusely. And it was not due to the weather.

At one point, irked by questions that reporters asked on the alleged Shoaib-Ayesha Siddiqui wedding, Sania threatened to call off the interaction.

Speaking to the media, Shoaib called on the Siddiquis to prove the charges against him in court. He said he would not apologise to Ayesha, nor divorce her.
However, Malik gave contradictory answers on his wedding with Ayesha. At one point he said his signature was on the nikahnama, but later claimed he had never married Ayesha. All he said was: “I am here and not leaving the country till my name is cleared.”
He rubbished Ayesha’s claims about a miscarriage, saying that it should be proved in court. He repeatedly declared that his marriage with Sania Mirza would be performed in Hyderabad on April 15 as scheduled.
Sania found fault with the media for projecting Malik in a bad light though the charges against him are yet to be proved. At one point, Sania lost her cool and shot               back at the reporters: “You are not the court, and we are not the court. Let the courts decide on Shoaib. Then he will do whatever he is asked to do. Till then, don’t malign him with baseless reports.”
She shouted at a journalist for asking repeated questions about Ayesha, saying: “Are you the police? You are not. Then leave the issue here. We have to call off the press conference if you act like this.” She also went on to say that the Siddiquis were family friends, and that she was “shocked” at their behaviour.
Sania said she was upset over the allegations, but claimed she knew the truth. “Our marriage will, Inshallah, take place on April 15. There is no question of postponing it.” She said repeatedly that no couple had faced the kind of situation that she and Shoaib now faced.
“We are representing our countries in different ways, and it is very painful to speak on such matters. To see my future husband like this answering questions on his first marriage, second and third, just 10 days ahead of our marriage ... is painful for both families. We are from respectable families and it is painful to answer such questions,” she said.
“These are questions people don’t face before getting married. That is not what we want. We want to clear his name, and as an Indian it’s my responsibility ... and ours too ... to let the police investigate the issue. Of course I’m upset, but we are happy that we are together and we are happy that we are getting married,” Sania said.
Sania urged the media to report with restraint. “Please think before giving headlines on Malik. You are reporting as if the entire truth came out, and Malik was found guilty of the charges,” she said, adding: “I am standing here by my future husband to clear his name. All our well-wishers are shocked by this. The entire drama has left a very bad taste.”
She said Shoaib has “never misled me, or any member of my family. There was never a marriage, so there is no question of divorce. We are well aware of what the truth is.”
 
L. Venkat Ram Reddy