Sharmila and Pataudi were gracious, natural, straightforward and class with a capital C. But this little story is not about that. It is about the programme hostess herself It is a delight to watch Simi bring one rare couple after another and pass them over burning coals; but in this particular episode, Simi seems to have forgotten to mention her own little real life rendezvous with Pataudi.
Once upon a time, long before Sharmila came on the scene, Simi and Pataudi were a number. He was nuts and bolts over her; with her class and style, she fitted to a tee (or should that be wicket?) his ideal of a perfect begum and the cricketing circle was waiting for him to name the date of their wedding. But just then, fate came a knockin' and Pataudi and Sharmila met. Lightning struck. They were made for each other, everybody could see that. Simi included. She had no objections, there were enough of young men trailing her and she was certainly not going to lose sleep over one dropout.
So imagine how surprised she was when one evening her doorbell rang and the butler led in a sheepish looking Mansur (Simi always called him Mansur, never Pataudi or Pat). He hammed (!) and hawed a bit, refused the cool lemonade she offered and then finally he burst out with it, I'm sorry but I want to make it clear it is over between us; I've met someone else. Simi did not dignify his confession with absolution, she changed the conversation and offered him some more lemonade. He refused and said he had to go, and literally rushed out, telling Simi insistently that there was no need for her to see him to the elevator. But Simi's propah' upbringing wouldn't allow that, and she went out with him, despite all his no-no-no.
That's how Simi saw what she did - Sharmila curled up on the steps near her elevator. Poor Pat. He put all his energies into pressing the elevator button frantically. The two women looked at each other long and hard, Simi with her raised eyebrows, Sharmila with her dimple. Not a word was said. None was needed. The elevator had arrived.
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