"Virat
Tussi God
Ho...!" - That's what the girls are saying, and their boyfriends are getting mighty pissed. Virat Kohli has won the title "Ex-Of The Year"... make that, Ex-of the Decade, hands down.
Kyon? I'd say with good reason. Never before has an ex stood up for his lady love with a show of such gallantry and basic decency, more than anything else. When the nasties started saying rude things about Anushka Sharma on various social media platforms, attributing Virat's fine form right now to the rather sad fact that she's no longer in his life (or so it is believed), the man of the hour refused to let those horrible comments pass.
He made sure to set the record straight by jumping to Anushka's defense and stating over Twitter that she has given him nothing but positivity in his life. Well done, Kohli.
Maaji will be proud of her
puttar. Any
Maaji. This one included.
There I was, quietly gobbling leftovers for lunch, when my youngest daughter joined me. I noticed she had tears in her eyes and she was choking with emotion. But of course I paid zero attention, thinking, "There she goes again, our family's Drama Queen". But then, the sniffling started. "Now what?" I snapped. "It's Virat..."
Uh oh - I had heard her screams last night as he batted his last over. I have always known about her massive crush. This had to be serious. "Virat's okay...right?' I asked in my best mother voice. She choked. "He is more than okay...he is just amazing...what a man." Of course, I had read his tweet by then. And shrugged. I did say
Shabaaash beta, but that was it. Now, look at the avalanche of support his few words have generated across India...even beyond.
What's the story?
I guess we have become so accustomed to messy break-ups full of bile and bitterness that Virat's Sir Galahad gesture came as a very pleasant surprise. High-profile love affairs - especially those conducted as publicly as this one - come with a gigantic price tag. In today's times, when celebrity managers dictate exactly what is to be communicated to the curious world, whether it's about a fresh relationship, divorce, patch-up or break up, we read the carefully-worded press release - and yawn. It's the same old rubbish ("Please respect our privacy during this difficult time...").
Virat and Anushka were rumoured to have split earlier this year after dating for three years.
Virat and Anushka hooked up and broke up openly and minus fuss. No accusations. No explanations. Just a straight up parting of ways. It happens. Even if you are just the couple next door. Except, in their case, every move was monitored and decoded. Besides, it was Anushka who got all the flak. Especially when Virat didn't play well.
As Indians, we cling to crazy theories about women who bring either good luck or bad luck to their partners. This generally absolves the men of any responsibility. So many marriages collapse because
Maaji wants to blame the
bahu for her duffer son's failures ("Poor fellow, his luck changed after he met her. He was doing so well, and now look at him! All her doing.") The same sort of superstitious bilge was being thrown at Anushka. It must have been pretty horrible to feel like the most-hated star girlfriend on the circuit. But to her credit, she refrained from responding to petty taunts. She didn't bite the bait. A few months later, she discreetly moved on.
Then came this wave of attacks.
Virat Kohli is already a superhero. With his latest tweet, he has become the idealised lover. The man who holds no grudges against his ex, but rushes to defend her honour when she's being torn apart on social media. Virat has raised the bar in one swift move.
No longer will boorish boyfriends sit quiet when friends defame an ex - or at least that is the general hope.
Virat has shown maturity and grace, while protecting the dignity of a lady who was getting mauled on account of their past relationship.
Taalis! And
kaash, if only there were more men around with the same level of sensitivity and self-respect.
Expect a Virat Kohli temple to come up soon. The worshippers are ready with garlands.
(Shobhaa De is an established writer, columnist, opinion shaper and social commentator, who is considered an authority on popular culture.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.