akistani columnist Mehr Tarar ended up playing a somewhat unhappy role in the Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor murder case. Before she died, Sunanda got into a Twitter spat with Tarar, whom she suspected of having an affair with her husband and feared this would break their marriage. NewsX's Priya Sahgal recently caught up with Tarar and spoke to her about her role in this sordid saga.

Q: What was your relationship with Mr Tharoor for it seems that Sunanda and Shashi Tharoor had a fight over your relationship with him.

A: A very personal thing should not be brought to a public forum and I take full responsibility in that I should not have responded (to Sunanda in the Twitter spat)...We spend so much time on social media that we should know when to draw the line.

Q: So how would you describe your relationship with Shashi Tharoor?

A: My interaction with him was on my timeline. He thought I was a wonderful writer and had a lot of positive ideas on breaking the ice between India and Pakistan. For instance, I was one of the few who vocally condemned Indian prisoner Sarabjit's death in Pakistani jail. Mr Tharoor thought this was very brave and thought it was important for someone like him who had such a presence on social media to put across an ordinary Pakistani's views to other Indians, because people paid attention to what he said. And yes, we were friends, as two good people can be on social media, through messages and emails. And look whatever happened between the two of them, happened between the two of them.

Q: Nalini Singh, a friend of Sunanda, says Sunanda called her the night before she died and was under an "emotional storm" concerning your relationship with Shashi Tharoor.

A: I was not in touch with Mr Tharoor when I was tweeted to by his wife. And secondly, as far as Ms Singh's conversation with her, I don't know what to say except I had some interaction with Mr Tharoor in June in Dubai. But if something happened in June, why would it be talked about in January? I was told that apparently Mrs Tharoor told Ms Singh that she knew about my meeting in June, and she knew about it since June, then why would she talk about it in January, especially since I was not in touch with the person whose name was linked with mine? I don't want to keep defending myself ... because there is nothing to defend. I get a lot of backlash on Twitter whenever I speak to the media. Whenever this case is talked about, my name is involved. I want my name to stop being linked to these two people whenever my case is discussed.

Q: It is an emotional time for you, but we also have Sunanda's friends saying she was scared you and Shashi were going to get married, so would you like to make your stand clear on this?

A: This is the most absurd thing of all. As per Ms Nalini's conversation with Mrs Tharoor, she based everything on my interaction with Mr Tharoor, which happened in Dubai in June. I want to state once and for all: There was no relationship (between Tharoor and Tarar), there was no talk of divorce. Think about it, does it make sense for a relationship to come to an end because of a woman who lives in another country and who has only met the man twice. Think about it. Why don't the media think about this basic question? Two people who have a very public marriage, who are in love with each other, who talk about their love for each other, are photographed together ... their relationship is going to fall apart because of a virtual interaction the man has with someone far away? I say this to you again, there was no breaking up of their marriage, there was no separation and there was no marriage to anyone else.

Q: So once again I ask you, there were no plans of your getting married to Tharoor?

A: We were not even talking to one another when this happened. We had a virtual interaction with one another from time to time, we would talk, we would text, we would email from time to time... Now please tell me, any politician who has been married before, married thrice, has had a fairy tale marriage, would all this come to an end because of a woman he has met only twice? I agreed to talk to you because I am tired of all this. Just because I am on Twitter, I have made myself accessible to attacks. I was called an ISI agent (by Sunanda)... Does this make sense? What I am saying is when you are angry, a lot of things are said which you do not mean. These are questions best asked to the couple. And unfortunately one of them is not here anymore.

Q: And unfortunately, the other is not speaking to the media.

A: And he should not, because there is nothing to say. Even when I am speaking to you, people will say: "Oh, she is lying!" Enough damage has been done already. If the media had not hyped it, it would not get the traction it did.

I am someone who was known to Mr Tharoor virtually. I had never met his wife. She had no idea who I was. She decided to say a few things to me. This issue is between the husband and the wife. And the only person people can attack is me, because it is very convenient for them to attack someone who is not an Indian. How do I fit into this picture? Anyone and everyone got to know my name because of this and it is very sad for me. I want people to leave me alone. Yes, it is my mistake that I tweeted in response (to Sunanda). Even then, I kept my tone non-controversial. I was not abusive. Yet, the viciousness against me on the social media is unbelievable.