Sania Mirza at break-point

Hyderabad: As a fairytale wedding it was to usher in a historic relationship between two war-weary nations.

Today, less than four years later, it appears like all is not well as cracks have developed and reached a flashpoint between Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik.

According to rumours doing the rounds in the city, and even in the Middle East, there are serious differences between the two partners to the extent that they have been staying away from each other for several months now. According to a source from Dubai, people are wondering if it has assumed serious proportions because the two, who went into wedlock amidst a frenzied media glare, have not been caught on camera together nor seen in Dubai where they were to supposedly settle down. The run-up to the marriage may not have been a smooth one as Sania Mirza had just broken off an earlier engagement to a city boy.

Yet, her marriage was high profile because the face of Indian women tennis was getting married to Shoaib Malik, the star batsman of Pakistan cricket team. April 12 of 2010 was bringing together two sportspersons from across the border, which in itself was cause for celebration. A family friend on Friday hinted that there were ‘serious’ differences as a result of which Sania has been staying in Hyderabad and handling the state-of-the-art academy she had set up on the outskirts. The rumours gain credence because for the first time since marriage, Sania has camped in the city for so long at a stretch. Malik, according to sources, has been participating in Big Bash Down Under as an excuse to stay away from the two countries and to keep himself occupied. He has been in the news for all the wrong reasons because of dwindling form.

Quite ironically, Sania is to be seen in action in the Australian Open that gets underway on Monday. Although, no one from the immediate Mirza family was available for comment, it is believed that they are expecting Malik to come to town next month, though this is not confirmed as yet. The source pointed out that as the marriage was high-profile, there was a compelling need to hush up the ‘domestic’ matter and keep it away from public glare. In view of the precarious situation, several VVIPs close to the family are making desperate attempts to ensure that eventually it will end up in a copybook ‘all is well that ends well’ style.