Malik arrives in Delhi for the ongoing series. (PTI)

They sure are a pack of power performers, this Inzy?s ?young team?. A day after they stunned the daylights out of Sourav Ganguly?s paper tigers, Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik?s Indian in-laws ? yes, Indian ? are hosting a power party for Bangalore?s brilliant badshahs.

The occasion: to celebrate the cross-border coupling of Malik and Hyderabadi 20-year-old Ayesha, the wedding vows between the two having been exchanged over phone as far back as May 2002.

The sparks between the two began to fly in May 2000 when they ran into each other at a coffee shop at the Holiday International in Sharjah. Ayesha had apparently left her hotel room keys behind on a table, which Malik retrieved and handed over to her.

?I forgot my hotel keys and Shoaib brought them to me,? said Ayesha, the blood rushing to her face at the mention of their first meeting.

Ayesha, who is the vice-principal of a play school in Jeddah, refused to let on details about her relationship with Malik. ?He is boyish and a nice person,? was all she would say.

The story, however, goes that the two kept in touch over phone and email for almost two years before Malik popped the question. The cross-border tie-up was kept under tight wraps till around six months ago.

Now, in line with the true spirit of the Indo-Pak friendship series, Malik has let his ?bride? out of the bag. Both families are delighted that the match happened.

?We have always wanted an Indian bride for Shoaib. Ayesha is cute, well mannered and good-looking. We got hints that he was interested in her almost a year ago. We plan to hold a formal wedding in India soon,? said Malik?s mother Farookh Sultana, who is accompanying her son.

Ayesha?s parents were no less happy. ?Although we are both orthodox families, we are happy with the decision of our young wards,? said father Ahmedullah Siddiqui, who has moved back to his posh Banjara Hills bungalow after retiring from Saudi Airlines.

?We have only cautioned them that they should concentrate on their respective careers as well.?

Ayesha?s mother Farisa was thrilled she had finally got a chance to entertain her damaad and his band of boys. ?Shoaib is such a sweet person, no wonder my daughter has fallen for him,? she gushed.

Farisa has hired five cooks from leading Hyderabadi hotels to rustle up Mughlai and Dakkani dishes for her guests. Several varieties of Hyderabadi biryani, bootis (a mutton dish), qurbani (a kind of dessert) and double-ka-meetha (a sweet dish) are some of the goodies on the menu.

?After all, damaad ko khush karna hai,? Farisa trilled. Ayesha will, however, leave for her husband?s place only in August.

Also on the guest list on Tuesday evening are tennis teen star Sania Mirza, badminton biggie Pullela Gopichand and former cricketers Mohammed Azharuddin and Shivlal Yadav.

?We are expecting some members of the Indian cricket team, too,? said Ayesha?s father.