DHAKA: Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor’s close friend Zarine Khan is devastated with her untimely demise. ‘We had first met the two at Delhi’s Couture Week a few years ago, where Sunanda had told us about their friendship’.

Saturday morning, still reeling from the tragic news, Zarine told Bombay Times, ‘Sunanda was the life of every party — a beautiful lady with a beautiful heart. I was on BBM with her on Friday morning, but when she didn’t respond, I sent Shashi a text and invited them over’.

‘He replied saying there was work and he needed to take care of it. There was no question of any discord between them. He was crazily in love with her. There are misunderstandings in all marriages, but they were happy’, reports The Times of India.

‘Her health, of course, had been taking a serious toll on her. I had met her when she was in Dubai last and she had lost a lot of weight since she was suffering from Lupus. It is unlike Sunanda to take an extreme step like suicide.’

‘She mixed with everyone and never behaved like a minister’s wife.’

‘She took her old friends to all the big parties she went for. I was speaking to her during this time and kept telling her to forget these things (the alleged Mehr Tarar affair).’

‘Shashi used to call her so many times. It’s unbelievable what has happened. May God give Shashi and her young son the strength to deal with this.’

BDST: 1644 HRS, JAN 19, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor