It is one of the bitterest rivalries on the planet – a 63-year-old grudge that occasionally teeters on the brink of nuclear war. But yesterday Indiaand Pakistan were reeling from the news that two of their most feted celebrities had disregarded decades of cross-border enmity by announcing their engagement. It is difficult to fly between the two countries, let alone conduct a love affair across the divide. Yet, against the odds, Sania Mirza – a 23-year-old tennis player who in 2009 became the first Indian woman to win a grand slam title, when she won the mixed doubles at the Australian Open with Mahesh Bhupathi – has fallen for Shoaib Malik, the bad boy of Pakistani cricket. Today, Mirza's father said his daughter and Malik, 28, the former cricket captain of Pakistan, would move to Dubai after the marriage. Reports said the couple, both Muslims, would celebrate with receptions in the Indian city of Hyderabad, where Mirza lives, and the Pakistani city of Lahore. Indian media said Mirza's family have applied for visas for Pakistan to visit Malik and his family. As soon as the betrothal was announced, message boards were buzzing with comment on this modern day Romeo and Juliet. On one forum on the Mumbai-based Rediff, many commentators said Mirza had brought shame on her country by marrying a Pakistani.
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