When Mohammed Azharuddin started seeing Sangeeta Bijlani in 1994, people were shocked. Azhar was a married man, the shy and reserved sort.
Sangeeta was dating Salman Khan. He was to pay a heavy alimony to Naureen. Azhar and Sangeeta are easily the most misunderstood couple in cricket. Fans of Azhar still blame the former fashion model for his fall from grace even though it has been 10 years since they got married.
And the bond has only grown stronger.
In
Their Own Words:
Sangeeta: "In the initial stages of our relationship,
I bore the brunt of the anger against our relationship.
Even today, people think I am the villain in this
piece. But frankly, the attraction between us was
too strong to dismiss it. We are still in love.
I feel sad by the way a man, who served this country
through his cricket, has been treated. We had decided,
earlier on, to ignore all these rumours. All that
matters is our decision to be together. At the end,
a relationship survives only when a couple has an
intense desire to be with each other and live with
each other. It's been more than seven years now,
and we are still together."
Azharuddin:
"I fell in love with Sangeeta lmost immediately.
I was adamant on marrying her. Today when I look
back, I think it was a very good decision. She understands
me completely. She doesn't expect me to adhere to
any set image that she may have of me. And she constantly
encourages me to try out new things. The health
club in Hyderabad, the entertainment company we
have, are all her ideas. She is a complete partner,
being with me in all our decisions. Isn't that what
a marriage is all about? Being for each other, with
each other, not living separate lives, as we tend
to do in our marriages, in India."
Here is some old footage of Sangeeta. Little wonder Azhar was trapped LBW for this lady.
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Duration: 0:43