Pepsi Syria arabic 2011

Pepsi Syria arabic 2011

The raw material for Pepsi buy

Methods of cleaning and sterilization of cans global best practices

Clean cans great professionalism

Ml cans of Pepsi beverage

 

Ml cans of Pepsi gases - to see the gas cylinder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maintenance blankets

Pepsi caps close

In the end, the laboratory examination of a trip to the purity of beverage cans Pepsi

And now we get a drink stock

The Last Dinosaur and the Tarpits of Doom

you a Microsoft investor? Be afraid. Be very afraid. By 2010 Windows will be as dead as CP/M, and every Windows-based software vendor will be either supporting Linux or out of business.

The process is in fact 80% complete: The end result is already obvious to bright CEOs, and will shortly be obvious even to bright mainstream press columnists.

In this essay, we will skim the available evidence, extrapolate the trend, and examine some of the mechanisms powering those trends.

How do you extrapolate an exponential?

In his 1952 essay Where to? (available in Expanded Universe) Robert A Heinlein pointed out that there are four ways of extrapolating an exponential curve. Suppose, for example, that an operating system "Linux" has been doubling market share every six months for a decade, and has reached 2.5% of the desktop market. How should an analyst extrapolate the curve?

The conservative mainstream analyst will project that Linux will maintain a constant market share thereafter, perhaps declining slowly: Linux at 2.5% desktop market share for a few years declining to 1% within a decade, say.

The daring analyst will allow for a slow rate of growth beyond the the current level, rapidly approaching a limit: Linux growing slowly from 2.5% of market share to say 5.0% in a decade or two.

The very daring analyst will extrapolate a linear rate of market share growth: If Linux has grown from 0 to 2.5% of the desktop market in the last decade, it will grow from 2.5% to 5.0% of the desktop market in the next decade, and by 2100 will have around a 25.0% of the desktop market.

Finally, there is the mathematically correct way of extrapolating an exponential: If Linux has been doubling every six months for a decade, the most probable extrapolation is that it will continue to double every six months. That will put it at about 10% of the desktop by Jan 2000, about 40% of the desktop by Jan 2001, and at market saturation by Jan 2002.

Note that when Linux reached 10% of server market share, all the mainstream third-party server software developers jumped on the bandwagon. The conservative assumption, then, is that when Linux reaches 10% of desktop market share, the third-party desktop software developers will likewise jump on the bandwagon. Understandably: a 10% marketshare gain is enough to interest the shareholders. We may expect to see this avalanche effect to kick in on the desktop market sometime in the year 2000.

Arithmetic Exercise: What is Linux's doubling time?

Datum: In 1991 Linux had one user, Linus Torvalds.

Datum: In 1998 Linux had about 16 million users. (Call it 8 or 32 if you prefer; it will change our answer only by a few percent.)

Datum: 1024 is 10 doubling times, so a million is about 20 doubling times, and 16 million is about 24 doubling times.

Result: 24 doubling times in 8 years is 3 doubling times a year, or an overall doubling time of four months.

For this essay, I'll stick with the conservative figure of two Linux doublings per year: It makes the arithmetic easier to follow. Daring minds can re-do the extrapolation with a four-month doubling time.

Observation: The race is nearly run.

In an exponential process, each doubling is just as difficult as any other doubling. Linux has successfully doubled 24 times so far, and needs a total of 29 to 30 doublings to achieve desktop market dominance: accordingly, in fundamental terms, it is about 24/30ths of the way there already, which is to say 80%.

It takes a brave or foolhardy analyst to predict that the runner will trip and fall before the finish line when the race is already 80% over!

Beyond Numerology: Why?

It is one thing to tot up plain public facts and make elementary geometric extrapolations: It is another to understand them. Why is Linux smashing Windows in the marketplace?

Historical Detour: The Open Standards Steamroller

For a somewhat deeper understanding, we may observe that Windows' eclipse by Linux is not an isolated event, but in fact merely the continuation of an overwhelming industry trend in operation for a quarter century.

In 1970, the engineering computing world was dominated at every level by proprietary standards.

ASCII was a distant dream: Every computer had its own binary text encoding used by its own line of terminals: Heaven help anyone foolish enough to try transporting a text file between brands of computers. Major computer manufacturers had several incompatible text encodings: for example IBM's EBCDIC variants and DEC with sixbit vs radix50. If you were perverse enough to want your text to be portable across computers, you avoided risky extensions like lower case, never mind special characters beyond comma and period.

In 1970, primitive proprietary operating systems bestrode the landscape like mighty dinosaurs: Prime's PrimeOS, DEC's RSTS, RT-11 &tc (with VAX/VMS soon to come), IBM's innumerable offerings, CDC's Scope and of course dominating the scientific workstation market, Apollo's Domain.

Who would then have dared to predict the fall of such giants?

What force could topple such entrenched operating systems, backed by massive industry investment, hacker culture and customer loyalty?

Today, of course, we all know the answer:

In 1975 Bell Labs released Unix.

Unix had no support from its creator, AT&T: Buy the magtape and don't call us. (AT&T was legally barred from entering the operating system market.)

Unix had no support from any existing vendor: None had the slightest interest in backing, supporting or developing an alternative to its proprietary operating systems offerings.

Unix had zero customer base: Nobody had ever heard of it, nobody was requesting it.

Unix had zero marketing: Nobody had any reason to spend money building mindshare for it.

A one-sided competition?

Decidedly: Unix wiped all workstation competition off the map in less than fifteen years.

On April 12, 1989, HP bought up Apollo at a fire-sale price, putting out of its misery the last remaining proprietary operating system vendor in the workstation world, and the workstation proprietary OS era was over: Unix was left alone in the workstation market.

In fifteen years, a magtape and an idea had effectively destroyed all opposition: Every workstation vendor was either supporting Unix or out of business.

(A few of the larger dinosaurs lingered on in niche roles, of course: VAX/VMS is actually still available if you ask for it, albeit mutated now to OpenVMS and more or less claiming to be Unix. Possibly some retiree somewhere is still running Domain on genuine vintage Apollo hardware. The Boston Computer Museum no doubt preserves some of these coelacanths of the computing world.)

What was the idea that single-handedly exterminated these proprietary dinosaurs?

Open standards and consumer choice.

The same proprietary monopolies which are so very profitable for vendors are so very expensive for their customers that, given a choice, customers pick open standards and free competition every time.

And sooner or later some struggling vendor offers them the choice.

In the end, a mature workstation market realized that it was better served by open standards across the entire industry, and every vendor fell into line or went out of business, all the way from terminal vendors (ASCII or bankruptcy) to networking vendors (TCP/IP or bankruptcy) to CPU vendors (Unix or bankruptcy).

Microcomputers: The Valley that Time Forgot

But even as St Unix was slaying the proprietary dinosaurs of the workstation world, history was repeating itself in the Valley of Microcomputers.

In 1960 DEC introduced the PDP-1 minicomputer, and in 1963 the PDP-8, with 4K words of memory.

In 1975 MITS introduced the ALTAIR 8800 microcomputer with 256 words of memory.

Just when it appeared that disks and high level languages were here to stay, suddenly one could once again experience the joys of assembly coded operating systems loaded off tape!

Microcomputing has proceeded to replay the history of the workstation ever since, with a fifteen year delay.

On this basis alone, a lazy analyst, noting 1989 as the year of the final demise of minicomputer proprietary operating systems, could pick 2004 as a likely year for the final demise of proprietary microcomputer operating systems -- in close agreement with the exponential trend's prediction of Linux market saturation starting in 2002.

Another cheap prediction directly from history: Just as the death knell of minicomputer proprietary operating systems was a lawsuit requiring that Federal minicomputer purchases specify an open standard such as POSIX rather than a single-vendor sweetheart solution such as VAX/VMS, the final death knell of microcomputer proprietary operating systems will be a successful lawsuit requiring that Federal microcomputer purchases specify an open solution such as POSIX rather than a single-vendor sweetheart solution such as Windows.

Today, the same people who picked open standards over proprietary solutions in the workstation context are faced with the same decisions in the microcomputer context and (is anyone surprised?) are making the same choices: Proprietary solutions in the microcomputer world are being rapidly replaced by open standards on all fronts. Open software standards like TCP/IP are rapidly killing off proprietary standards like IPX while simultaneously open hardware standards like PCI are clobbering proprietary alternatives like Microchannel.

Microsoft was the biggest of the microcomputing dinosaurs pushing proprietary solutions, and unsurprisingly it is proving the last to sink in the tarpit of open standards, just as Apollo, leading vendor of proprietary workstation operating systems, was the last to give up the ghost.

True, like a trapped Tyrannosaurus Rex, Microsoft remains dangerous, able to rend any competitor within reach of its jaws, even as its struggles sink it ever deeper into the tarpit.

But with the long-term self-interest of the entire customer base working against proprietary solutions, Microsoft can only buy incremental short-term survival by selling off what remains of its future:

To maintain the appearance of robust growth critical to its dominance, Microsoft has had to nearly triple the real per-CPU cost of Windows over the last half-decade, from below $20 to over $50. In the short term, this is an effective way of converting monopoly power into revenue, but the result is to increase the incentive for customers to switch vendors: Today 60-80% of IT managers say they would switch from Windows if they had a choice -- and companies like Compaq are starting to ship boxes with Linux pre-installed. With new PC prices dropping below $400, $50 for the OS is no longer economic: Change is in the wind.

To survive the short term, Microsoft software has had to offer steadily increasing support for open standards: Today its applications have to support C, Java, HTML, TCP/IP, SQL and a host of other standards beyond its control. But each time it switches from a proprietary standard to an open one, the Last Dinosaur reduces its monopoly power, opens the door wider to free competition, and increases the leverage customers have to demand yet more adherence to open standards. Every such tactical victory is a strategic defeat. The result from Microsoft's perspective is an exponentially increasing sink rate into the tarpit, resulting in a steadily rising level of desperation sufficient (for example) to drive the Last Dinosaur to bet-the-company confrontations with the American legal system which it would never have considered in happier days.

To deal with competitors like AOL, Microsoft has had to go beyond merely reluctantly supporting one standard after another, and begin actively promoting the construction of new open standards, for example its promotion via the IETF of an instant message protocol standard (RVP) to compete with AOL's ICQ. Even if this succeeds in weakening AOL in the short run, it will result in yet another industry move from proprietary to open standards, which in the long run will move Microsoft one step closer to open competition in a free market. No points for guessing that Microsoft wouldn't be doing this if it thought it still had the faintest ghost of a chance of creating a proprietary standard it controlled: Microsoft is implicitly admitting that the days of proprietary microcomputer standards are over.

To slow its sink rate somewhat, Microsoft has had to resort to increasingly heavy-handed tactics, which may sometimes work in the short run, but which mean that is it stepping steadily more painfully on the toes of organizations ranging from the Pentagon to General Motors -- organizations which can and do eliminate irritants. It is no coincidence that Microsoft misbehavior has simultaneously become of interest in venues ranging from the US Congress to the European Union to Japan to the US Department of Justice to any number of US state governments: Microsoft has begun buying short-term survival at the cost of long-term hostility, a desperate bargain indeed. It is anyone's guess what the specific result of any particular legal or legislative action will be, but in the end it doesn't matter: What does matter is that vast groupings of the world's power elite now see Microsoft as a problem to be solved, and will crank up the pressure until a solution satisfactory to them is achieved. To them, that means being able to make commodity purchases in a competitive market, and not being subject to the whims or self-interest of any single CEO. The direct costs to the world economy of Microsoft's monopoly now run to the tens of billions of dollars; the indirect costs run to the trillions. That's more than enough to motivate mainstream action. No amount of PR posturing can hide those costs from the people paying them, nor stave off indefinitely solutions to the problem.

Will Microsoft in the end suddenly turn to the Light Side? There is precedent in the way DEC suddenly switched from "Unix is Snake Oil" to "We're the biggest Unix vendor in the industry".

Or will Microsoft fight with conviction to the bitter end, as did Apollo, going down with all PR guns blazing?

We have no way of guessing, but in industry terms, it doesn't make any difference anyhow, except perhaps to Microsoft employees and stockholders.

Let us leave the Last Dinosaur sinking inexorably deeper into the tarpit which has now claimed all of Microsoft's predecessors in the proprietary operating systems game.

But Why Linux?

There can be little doubt that when Windows falls, Linux will inherit its mantle: It is a simple matter of momentum. Ask Alta Vista(say) to count hits:

[1999Jan10 figures]

Windows: 2,530,775

Linux: 502,053

Solaris: 251,513

HP/UX: 105,833

FreeBSD: 81,781

MacOS: 70,851

UnixWare: 23,386

Ultrix: 15,133

OpenBSD: 11,892

[1999Oct29 figures]

Windows: 6,748,317

Linux: 1,984,844

Solaris: 453,884

HP/UX: 180,612

MacOS: 180,547

FreeBSD: 133,882

OS/2 Warp 82,102

UnixWare: 32,994

Ultrix: 26,351

OpenBSD: 13,354

[LATER ADDITION: 2000Oct19 figures]

Windows: 8,814,232

Linux: 5,403,341

Solaris: 673,978

OS/2: 582,296 < OS/2 & OS2

HP/UX: 220,802 < HP/UX & HPUX & HP-UX

MacOS: 219,352

FreeBSD: 195,339

Irix: 180,506

OpenVMS: 102,392

BeOS: 82,486

UnixWare: 60,578

NetBSD: 47,991

OpenBSD: 35,807

Ultrix: 34,165

QNX: 27,804

AmigaOS: 12,156

Minix: 11,973

FreeDOS: 3,203

GNU/HURD: 2,694 <

(Hurd & operating system)

Plan 9: 2,105 < & operating system

Freedows: 1,100

Alliance_OS: 156

Reactos: 54

AROS: 124 < & operating system

AtheOS: 58

As expected, Linux appears to be rapidly closing the web mindshare gap with Windows.

(These numbers coutesy of Tomas.Kindahl@saab.se)

Linux is not only growing faster than any OS in history -- it already has twice the Web mindshare of anything but Windows.

Why?

Part of the answer is of course simple chance. Had Linus Torvalds been born ten years later, FreeBSD might well have inherited the ecological niche which Linux has claimed.

A more interesting part of the answer is the Open Source revolution: Thanks to the rise of the Internet, microcomputing is here going on beyond a mere replay of workstation computing history to break new ground.

Open standards make the computing world more efficient by reducing the amount of wasted motion needed to implement a new idea: Standards cut the software environment into pieces with defined interfaces, and only the component behind a given interface need be re-implemented. Introducing something like SSH can now be done just by replacing a few programs like telnet, instead of by introducing perhaps an entire new operating system.

This reduction in wasted programming effort translates directly into cheaper and more plentiful software, which in turn produces indirect cost savings in every part of the economy leveraging software.

Open source takes this a step further: When the source is available, instead of having to rewrite programs like telnet from scratch, the existing source code can be merely modified, resulting in still greater reduction in waste effort.

Proprietary ownership of source code has in the past allowed large corporations to dominate the software market because they could modify their existing proprietary code more cheaply than others without access to it could rewrite from scratch. This allowed extraction of monopoly rents from customers, with the usual happy results for the seller and unhappy results for customers and the economy as a whole.

The growth of the Internet has now put the shoe on the other foot: It has made cooperation so cheap, and the set of cooperating Linux developers so large, that Linux now not only has a programmer force dwarfing anything Microsoft can field (with a doubling time measured in months), but an existing codebase dwarfing that available to all but the very largest corporations. The Linux codebase consists of about one hundred million lines of code, which at the accepted industry rate of $100/line, represents an effective capital investment of ten billion dollars.

For comparison, a company like Lotus or Apple has a market value of about a two billion dollars, Oracle has a market value of about thirty billion dollars, and Microsoft has a market value of about one hundred billion dollars.

In economic terms, if Linux were a corporation, by conventional economic metrics of book value, it would currently be roughly the third largest software firm on the planet, behind Microsoft and Oracle and ahead of firms like Autodesk ($1.3 billion).

In terms of sheer productive programming power, Linux already dwarfs Microsoft, and is pulling away fast: If it were a conventional software corporation, it would have the largest effective development budget in the software world.

Since there is no conceivable way Microsoft can match the scale of the Linux effort, there is no way Microsoft can ever close the capability and reliability gap which Linux has already opened up over Windows: By the time the Last Dinosaur can struggle up to where Linux already is, Linux will be over the horizon.

Thanks to the availability of source, the entire academic and research world has become a Linux R&D lab. For example, thanks to NASA's Beowulf project, Linux has today operational, production supercomputers with hundreds of nodes. It is a safe prediction that within a year there will be Linux-driven supercomputers with over a thousand CPUs -- quite possibly many thousands.

I don't know what will come out of the research labs at NASA, MIT, Caltech and kin tomorrow or next year, but one prediction is easy: The overwhelming majority of the advances will be built on Linux.

New Computing World Order

The result of all this is the start of a fundamental phase transition in the way the entire software industry works.

Innovative companies are discovering that by going with Linux, they get to leverage a software base with a commercial equivalent worth already exceeding ten billion dollars and doubling steadily -- instead of having to re-invent these wheels and be correspondingly late to market -- and to boot gain as an ally the largest software development team on the planet.

It's already hard to resist, and once Linux' market share passes that of Windows, it will be irresistable and irreversable.

The future beckons!

On your way out, please leave a donation for the Dinosaur Preservation Foundation: Someone needs to start preserving memories of the old order, before they are lost forever.

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All rights released: Duplicate freely. This document is public domain.

Reader comments page

Finding Linux on the Web

Linux Journal and its Linux Resources.

Linux Documentation Project with the Linux Installation and Getting Started Guide

RedHat Linux, top commercial distribution. If you want commercial Linux sales and support, this is for you.

Debian Linux, top volunteer distribution. If you like the brotherhood of hackers Linux experience, this is for you. Current release includes 1800 applications.

SAL, a great index of thousands upon thousands of Linux applications.

Linux Applications and Utilities Page, another great index.

WINE -- run your legacy Windows apps on Linux!

GNOME -- next-generation Linux desktop that will make Linux as easy to use as Windows or Macs.

Linux Daily News: What happened today?

Freshmeat: What new Linux programs were released today?

SlashDot: What's today's geek gossip?

Linux Mall is a major online retailer of Linux operating systems, applications, and books.

Finding Real Dinosaurs on the Web

The University of California Museum of Paleontology has a great Dinosaur section -- I swiped the wallpaper for this essay from them.

There's an Internet Dinosaur Mailing List.

The Paleo Ring includes sites like the Dinosaur Art and Modelling page, with the obligatory Tyrannosaurus Rex subsection.

Dino Russ's Lair has lots more cool stuff, including many more dino links.

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Microsoft's technical guru Nathan Myhrvold has predicted that its Windows operating system will almost be consigned to history within five years. (Original BBC URL.)

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Sept 5, 2000 postscript:

The above essay was written in early January, 1999. I think it has held up very well. Microsoft's stock is down 50% from its peak. Microsoft has been formally convicted of possessing and abusing monopoly power and is facing breakup. A tidal wave of civil lawsuits is about to break over Microsoft, seeking to recover billions of dollars in damages from the formal findings of fact that Microsoft has possessed and abused monopoly power -- appeals courts do not deal with findings of fact, so these will stand whatever the other results of the Department of Justice's anti-trust case. After twenty years of refusing to sell a share, Bill Gates is selling off his Microsoft stock as fast as he dares, and has stepped down as CEO -- clearly he sees the end of the road. Windows 2000 is getting at best a lukewarm reception, while Windows CE is being shunned. The mass media, always sensitive to the moods of their major advertisers, have switched from uniformly positive coverage of Microsoft to neutral or outright hostile coverage.

Meanwhile, Linux continues to be the only operating system gaining share against Windows. It now commands the internet server market, and is rapidly becoming the industry-standard platform supported by players from IBM through HP to Sun and Oracle, who are collectively plowing billions of dollars into advancing Linux. They effectively guarantee the success of Linux: Anything the Linux community needs but cannot produce for itself, they will provide. SCO, the largest vendor of proprietary Unix operating systems, has just been bought by a Linux company. Microsoft itself is increasingly investing in Linux-driven companies. Entire countries like South Korea are standardizing on Linux. Much of the world educational system is being converted to Linux, promising generations of Linux-trained graduates. The British secret service wants Britain to standardize on Linux because it doesn't know what sort of trapdoors the NSA has persuaded Microsoft to include in Windows; China has the same concerns and also wants to standardize on Linux to save money and get better Chinese-language support. Germany, France and Scandinavia are offering formal government support to Linux. Latin America is in love with Linux.

In the big-iron market, all machines will shortly be able to run Linux binaries, as vendors from IBM to Sun rush to take advantage of the Linux application base and to escape Microsoft's painful stranglehold.

In the new embedded device market -- such things as cellphones -- Linux is obliterating Windows CE. The embedded device industry clearly has no intention whatever of repeating the PC industry's mistake of getting locked in to an abusive monopoly.

In the desktop market, Linux has moved past Apple to become the #2 player, with about 6% of the market. (This represents "only" a bit more than one doubling of market share since the essay was written, indicating that Linux is entering the second half of its sigmoid sooner than I expected -- I expected market saturation effects to kick in at about 30% market share.) Apple itself is migrating its software to run on top of Unix, and in due course will be forced by the inexorable logic of economics to run on top of Linux: Apple will become a Linux company, selling a better GUI and easier to configure hardware on top of the base Linux functionality. PC hardware companies like NVidia and 3dfx which in 1999 were refusing to provide Linux developers with the information need to write drivers are now developing Linux drivers themselves and actively courting the Linux market.

Linux is now less than one doubling away from gaining 10% of the PC desktop market, at which point third-party desktop software vendors will start tripping over each other in their haste not to be last into the Linux market. This avalanche will erase Window's application-base advantage, which is the last lifeline keeping Microsoft's dinosaur operating system from sinking: After that, the desktop market will crash inexorably and irreversably over to Linux. Microsoft will port Microsoft Office to Linux, which might or might not be enough to keep it in business.

The Linux desktop market is already demonstrating the advantages of a innovation-friendly level playing field, showing a degree of vitality forever foreclosed to the monopoly-crippled Windows world, with every day another company announcing improved installation support for Linux or better real-time support or a more user-friendly desktop. Whatever your interest, two or three Linux vendors are competing to provide what you want, and the combination of free innovation and free consumer choice ensure that Linux will rapidly leave Windows in the dust by every technical measure of consequence. Microsoft's centrally planned economy simply cannot compete with Linux's decentralized capitalism in the Internet era.

Linux truly is the software platform for the new millenium.

i cant read gaelic. its just impossible. true fact.

today's episode was really good n i m really excited to see wht happens ahead n jai 's reaction.bravo bani n rano atlast they have succeded in breaking the engagemant.sahil n rano i think they will be together.bechari jigs n ranveer

it starts with pia cuming in the room n trying to talk to bani but bani is not at all interested.pia tells her that why is no body trying to understand her.she recollects mt.abu days when their mother was really sick cause they lacked money their mother could'nt get the treatmant n she died n she tells bani that the mistake their father n mother did she won't repeat the same mistake now bani really angry n she tells pia why does she always mis understand their father.bani tells her wht does she remembers abt their mother she tells her that their mother was admitted in a good hospital n their father did everything to save their mother.bani even tells her that she can only remember their poor n bad days why can't she see their father's love for their mother n she even tells her that though they were in a really bad financial condition but their father did'nt let any one to sleep hungry he gave wht ever he could.but pia tells her that life has onle given them tears n took everything from them but bani tells pia that wht they have got no baby has got ie their father has thought them to live with full dignity even in worse n bad days of their life.bani tells pia that she will never understand these things but she will not talk to her till she realises her mistakes n tells pia not to trouble rano with her talks n goes to sleep n pia is still sitting n crying

in the morning as rano is getting ready to leave for the college pia cums n tells her she does'nt needs to take a rick or bus to go to the college she will go n bring a car as rano is abt to reply bani cums n tells her that they don't need anything which they don't have a habit off n they don't want any thing that is not their's pia is sad n bani n rano leave.pia is thinking how can she make bani happy so that her anger goes away n recollects mt.abu scene where bani enters for the room service n apologises for being late but its pia madam n she says next time it should not ahppen or else she will go to the manager bani recognises her voice n runs after her n tells her why she did this n why she wasted so much of money but pia replies she can do any thing for her n bani forgives her both r smiling now pia thinke yes she will go to the hotel.

bani n rano reach college bani gives all instruction to rano to cum directly to home after college n study well n rano tells bani not to worry she will cum home n bani leaves as rano is walking every body is saying hi to rano she is stunned but sahil cums n tells her that she is confused as to why everybody is saying hi to her sahil tells her that everybody has cum to know that she is going to become jai walia's small sister-in-law rano is angry n leaves.bani is lookingat her,pia n rano's pic when an old waiter cums to bani n tells her that he is so old now where will he find another job at this age n he is onle one to earn for his family n he shows he his retirement letter n tells her that now that she is jai walia's relative she can talk to him just then ranveer enters n says that wht do they think of jai he will not let all the beggers to cum in his house n he even tells him that bani is not the owner of the hotel only her sister is getting married to his uncle the waiter leaves n bani is furious but ranveer continues to insult bani n tells her that her sister has trapped jai to get all his money but pia enters n tells wht rubbish is he talking n tells him that he should talk to her n not to her di as she is getting married to his uncle n tells him it was his uncle who proposed her she did'nt went after his uncle n asks ranveer to talk to jai n confirm it n dials the number ranveer is really angry n leaves

pia tells jai she will talk to him later n tells bani that everything will be ok but bani tells pia that ranveer was not wrong whtever he said is rite now pia is crying n saying thet she sacrificed her bach pan for them can't she do anything for her happiness bani tells her that who is under sum one's favour can't get happiness for others pia is crying n leaves n bani is sad n thinks that she is doing this so that pia cums back to them.pia is recollecting bani's words n cums face to face with pushkar he asks her why is she cryoing n pia takes pushkar's name but he tells her not to asks him how is he n leaves in anger.pia is still standing.

pia reaches rano's college to take her n tells her that they will first go to ice-cream palour n then home but rano tells her that she knows the road to their house just then sahil's car cums n asks them to leave the road n pia insist rano to cum but rano asks sahil is he going home he says yes she asks him to drop her to the house n leaves in his car.pia is sad.bani is lighting a diya in front of their father's photo pia cums bani is abt to leave pia tells her why r they punishing her she can't be happy without them n she will do anything for her bani asks her to break her engagement with jai.pia is shocked but she agrees tells her that if she is happy with this she will do it bani has soften a bit n tells her that she is doing all this for her happiness n tells her not to think that she is cuming in between her happiness.pia asks her thet mummy n papa would have done the same thing.won't they be happy with her decision as her happiness lied there.bani is quiet.pia tells her she will talk to jai as soon as he returns from malaysia

ranveer informs jigs abt a party that he will be throwng in pia's honour.jigs gets angry n tells him that wht the hell is he talking abt.ranveer tells her that he has talked to jai n jigs will arrange for the party as tommorrow all the sisters will be insulted so badly that no body would have thought off n will make sure that all three leave the house before jai returns from malaysia.but jigs asks him to be careful n think n lay the plan out.it ends on ranveer's face

precap-ranveer goes to invite bani n rano for the party n informs them its in pia's honour.bani is suspicious

Hume Tumse Hua Hai Pyaar Chapter . 5

Hume Tumse Hua Hai Pyaar Chapter .

Bani feels herself being shook roughly in her sleep, disturbing in on her dream. She awakes abruptly and immediately is blinded by the strong sunrays coming from her bedroom windows. She shields her eyes with her hand and slowly makes out the image of Rano's appearance before her.

Bani: (croaks) Rano? What is wrong with you? ---Why are you here so early in the morning?

Rano: Because sleepyhead… I have some important news to tell you.

Bani yawns and turns her back on her, placing her head back onto her soft pillow.

Bani: Baadmein batao… Mujhe abhi sona hai… (trans: Tell me later… I want to sleep.)

Again Rano shakes her harshly, startling Bani completely out of her dazed state.

Rano: Baaanneeee!

Bani: (annoyed) Kya hai Rano! (practically barks) What is it that you need to tell me so early in the morning? Can't you wait

Rano does something that shocks the living daylights out of Bani. She thrusts her left hand in to her view and presents the huge diamond rock on her ring finger that gleams at her. Bani stares at it wide-eyed, not saying a word since she is so speechless.

Rano: (squeals) I'm engaged!

She closes her eyes and then opens them once again, wondering whether she is delusional and seeing things. But nope, the ring is still there on her finger. Then it finally hits home….

Bani: (screams) You're getting married!

Rano: (equally enthusiastic) I'm getting married!

Bani: Rano!

Rano: Bani

Bani: Oh my God Rano! (squeals) I can't believe it! How? When? Where?!

Rano: Veer proposed at dinner last night! He said that he believes I'm the one and that he doesn't want to delay anymore and wants to marry me right away! We're getting married this week!

Bani's eyes pop out from their sockets as she hears this bit of information.

Bani: This week! (squeaks)

Rano: (smiling elatedly, blushing) Yes!

Bani: But why so fast? I mean, there's so much I want to do for your wedding! You're my best friend, I have to plan everything! A week isn't enough time!

Rano: I know Bani, but he says he doesn't want to wait and that the sooner we get married the better. His parents have already consulted to a pundit ji and he says that the nearest date is on the 7th, this Friday, or else we will have to wait for another three months. Aur tum to Ranveer ko jaante ho na. He will never learn to be patient.

Tears begin to cloud in Bani's eyes as the news of Rano's engagement starts to have its effect on her. Rano, her best friend and sister of six years, going to be married this very week? She will be a married woman. Things will change… They won't be the same anymore.

Rano: Bani, what's wrong? Why are you crying? (simmering down, worried)

Bani: (trying to blink away her tears) Kuch nahi… I … I am just so happy for you Ranu…. My best friend is getting married… It just feels so surreal.

Rano: (tears glistening in her eyes too, smiling understandingly) I know… I can't believe it myself. But here I am, right in front of you, showing off my beautiful diamond ring.

Bani chuckles a little as this and Rano joins her. She brings out her arms, silently without any words beckoning her to give her a hug. Bani willingly goes into her embrace.

Bani: Ranveer will keep you happy…. I know that. But even then, if he even brings a single tear to your eyes, tell him that I know where he lives.

Rano: (giggling) Shall I give you the new address first?

Bani stills in Rano's arms and pulls back, staring at her with astonishment.

Bani: New address?

Rano: (nodding her head) We will be moving right after we get married.

Bani: (croaks) But why?

Rano: Bani, tum to jaanti thi ke Ranveer Delhi wapas jhaana chaata hai… Wahan uska Bhaiya ka business hai… Now that he has finished his degree, he wants to join him there and work. (trans: Bani, you knew that Ranveer wanted to go back to Delhi. His brother's business is over there.)

Bani: Lekin---I didn't think in a million years that he would take you along! (protesting)

Rano: (scoffs) Kyon? Did you think we'd never get married? That eventually we would break off?

Bani: (sheepishly) No offense Ran, but you were never really good at keeping a stable relationship. I was even surprised that you managed to stay with Veer for this long.

Rano: … (coolly taking this in) Well I guess I can't blame you for thinking like that. I never had a relationship that has lasted more than a couple of months.

Bani nods her head in agreement and laughs as Rano glares at her for doing so.

Rano: Don't poke fun at my failed relationships.

Bani: (changing the topic) Rano, I'm going to miss you. Who is going to irritate me nonstop and make me angry for always being late?

Rano: (smiling) I'll find a way. Don't think that just because I'm getting married and moving away that I won't be a constant bug in your life anymore.

Bani: Good, because I don't want to have to.

Feeling emotional just about now, Rano hugs Bani and begins to tear up.

Rano: (whispers) You are going to fulfill all the duties of a sister in my wedding, do you hear me?

Bani nods her head, choking up herself with tears.

Bani: (her voice watery) Loud and clear.

Rano: Bani, I love you. I am going to miss you so much. Thank you for being a part of my life. You mean everything to me.

Bani: As you do to me Rano.

Rano: You won't forget me after I'm gone?

Bani: Never.

Rano: Will you visit?

Bani: Every time I can.

Rano: Good. Because I think I will go insane by constantly only seeing Veer's face for the rest of my life.

Bani: (laughing through tears) Pagali, then why are you marrying him?

Rano: This may be the only shot I have at getting married missy! I'm not going to let it go away!

Bani: (laughing even more) Hain hain, jhooti. Mujhe pata hai ke tum Veer ko baut pyaar kaarti ho… (trans: Sure sure, liar. I know that you love Veer a lot.)

Rano remains silent, blushing as a response, and tightens her hold on Bani, giving her answer.

Bani: I will hope and pray that you have a very happy, love filled marriage and are blessed with tons of bald chubby babies.

Rano gasps and removes herself out of their embrace. She brings her hands onto her hips and stares down at her.

Rano: Do you wish to destroy my figure?

Bani: Of course! So then I will look beautiful compared to you! (cheeky smile)

Rano: Bani Dixit, I will murder you with my two bare hands!-----Don't you dare pray for that!

**********************************************************************
 

Mere nach vich khul gayi baal

Bhabhi meri gut kar de

Minu chadiya solwa saal

Bhabhi meri gut kar de

Nach vich khul gayi baal

Bhabhi meri gut kar de

Kaala doriya kunde naal aadiyaayi, oye

Ke chhota devra bhabhi naal laadiyaayi oye

Kukdi o leni jid kud kud kar diye

Chhore nai jaana saath bud bud kar diye

Ek punjaban, kudi punjaban

Hey, ek punjaban dil churaake le gayi, hai

Sona sona, hai dil mera sona

Sona sona, dil mera sona

Since the wedding was in such a limited time, the Obreois and Debs did not have much time to take part in all of the pre-wedding ceremonies. Therefore, the Obreois held one simple sangeet in which they would mix in the mehendi and haldi rasam all together. The hall buzzes with activity as girls dance to the beat of the music, get henna adorned on their hands, and tease the bride-to-be mercilessly. Rano glows lovely in a simple yellow saree in the midst of a circle of women, who apply haldi on her. This is how Jai sees her as he arrives with his siblings, dressed in a formal black suit, looking handsomer than usual. He smiles as Rano catches his eye and walks forward to join her after she beckons him to do so with a soft nod. He arrives at the small stage where Rano sits on the side of and seats himself down at the floor next to her.

"Arre Jai beta, tum yahan? Hum saabne to socha ke tum nahi aaonga," Rano's mother exclaims with surprise on seeing him. Jai smiles devilishly at her and says sweetly, "Aunty, main aapni behen ki sangeet mein shamaal nah hoon, kya yeh kabhi hosakta?" Karuna Obreoi smiles in a pleased manner at his answer. She fondly pinches his cheek and kisses him on his forehead. "Tum mera saabse accha beta ho…," she replies. "Jaante ho tum, haina?" Jai takes his aunty's hands into his and grins at her.

(trans: Arre Jai beta, you here? We all thought you weren't going to come…… Aunty, is it possible that I won't come to my own sister's sangeet?.... .. You are my good child. You know this?...)

Jai: Jaanta hoon… But if I beat Rano is what I really want to know.

"Bhaiya!," Rano stares at him, appalled. Jai chuckles as his eyes twinkle with mischief.

Rano: Aap bhi na.... Aap hamesha mere peeche kyon paare ho? (trans: You are too much… Why are you always after me?)

Jai: Hey chashmesh. Main tumhse nahi, tumhari maa se baath khar raha hoon. Boliye Aunty… (trans: Hey four eyes, I'm talking to your mother, not you. Tell me Aunty…)

Karuna: Arre beta, jab tumhe jawaab pata hai, phir tum poochte kyon? (trans: Arre son, when you know the answer, why do you ask?)

Jai grins in victory while Rano stares at both of them, clearly upset.

Rano: Ma! Don't pick him over me! Main aapki beti hoon! (trans: I am your daughter!)

 

Jai: (sighs) Aunty, don't you ever get tired from listening to this mad girl? All the time she is just complaining. She doesn't know how to do anything else.

Rano's eyes pop out like saucers.

Rano: Mad?!

Karuna: (giggles) Bus bhi karo Jai… aur maat saatao meri beti ko. Uski sangeet hai… shaadi karnewali … aab ke liye usko chordo… (trans: Enough already Jai… don't tease my daughter anymore. It's her sangeet….she's getting married… at least now leave her alone.)

Rano: Aab aapko ehsaas hua ke main aapki beti hoon… hmph! (trans: Now you realize I am your daughter…hmph!)

Jai: Arre Rano, did Aunty and Uncle not tell you?

Rano: (suddenly interested in what he has to say) Kya? Tell me what?

Jai: Aunty, aap bhi nah… Kaab thak ke liye aap iss se saach chupoonge? Aaj nahi to kaal pata chaljoonga… (trans: Aunty you are too much… For how long will you keep the truth away from her? If not today, tomorrow she will find out.)

Rano: Kya? Ma, Bhaiya kya kaehreh hai? Kaunsa saach? (trans: What? Ma, what is Bhaiya saying? What truth?)

Jai: Rano tum bura naa mano… joh main tumhe bataanewala hoon… uss se phele yaad karna ke joh bhi kuch hoye, Aunty aur Uncle hamesha tumhare maa baap rehenge… (trans: Rano, don't take this the wrong way… but before I tell you, remember that Aunty and Uncle will always remain as your parents.)

Rano: Bhaiya, aap baataiye to saahi… (trans: Bhaiya, will you at least tell me.)

Jai: Rano… the truth is that you were adopted. You're some hobo man's daughter who Aunty and Uncle bumped into and took pity to, so they took you in to unburden him.

Rano: Maaa!!!

Jai chuckles loudly while Rano gets all worked up on throttling him right there. Karuna has to push Rano back to save Jai.

Karuna: Rano, he was kidding sweetie! You are not adopted. For Heaven's sake, you are your father's replica and you know it too! Now calm down.

Rano: (acting all weepy) Aap phele isse kaaediye ke woh yahan se jaaye… I don't want him here. (trans: First tell him to leave from here.)

Jai perches his elbow onto Rano's knee and stares up at her with feigned innocence.

Jai: Kyon Bhai, maine kya kiya? Main to aapni behen ko milna chaata tha… Shaadi karnwali hai woh… (trans: Why, what did I do? I wanted to meet my sister…. She's getting married.)

Rano: (moody) Main aapki koi behen wehen nahi hoon….aur bahna nahi chaati. (trans: I am not your sister.. nor do I want to be.)

Jai: (continuing to laugh) Arre meri pyaari se Rano, gussa maat hoye… main to mazaak khar raha tha… Kya yeh haaq ek bhai ko nahi hai? (trans: My sweet Rano, don't be angry. I was simply joking. Does a brother not have this right?)

Rano smiles a little at him on hearing this. She can never manage to stay mad at him for longer than a minute.

Rano: Hai… lekin you tend to take advantage of it a lot.

Jai: Sorry baba. I promise, I won't harass you until you are safely married. Accha now tell me gulaabo, where is the haldi. Mujhe bhi tum par lagana… (trans: I want to put it on you as well.)

Before Rano can even protest, her mother brings out the container of the haldi, presenting it before Jai. Jai smiles and scoops some up with his fingers. He tenderly smears it onto Rano's cheeks and kisses her affectionately on her head.

Jai: May you have a happy successful marriage. And be blessed with beautiful children who I can spoil rotten.

Rano flushes dark red and mumbles, "Why is everyone mentioning children so soon?"

Jai: Because love, that is what is mostly expected out of marriage.

Rano: I thought marriage was about two people wanting to stay committed and love each other for the rest of their lives. Now what happened to that definition?

Jai: That's bull crap. What people want are children.

Jai laughs as Rano grows glum on hearing this. Karuna simply giggles, enjoying the way Jai always teases her daughter. It is merely his way of showing his love to her.

Jai: Hey Rano… Tumhara Ranveer kaise dekhta? (trans: How does your Ranveer look?)

Rano: (blushes, shy) Bhaiya, he's really handsome. You will see for yourself tomorrow.

Jai: Accha? Is that so? Then you did an excellent thing in choosing Ranveer. He will make up for your lackings with his looks and your children will be beautiful. So no worries there.

Rano: (eyes pop out, her mouth falls open) Ma!!!

Karuna: Arre Rano, shaant hojao… Tum bhi nah… Saab kya sochonge? ---Ke Dulhaan pagal hai? Chup chaap baati raho… Jai doesn't mean anything he says… (trans: Rano, calm down… You are too much. What will everything think----that the bride is crazy?

Rano: Then why does he say it? (whimpering)

Karuna: Arre pagli, woh tujhse pyaar karta hai… yeh to uska taareeka hai dekhaanliye… (trans: He loves you… this is his way of showing that to you.)

Jai: (sighs) Finally, someone who understands me…. Kya Rano, you are such a bummer. You take everything too seriously.

Rano: Bhaiya, you said earlier you would not tease me any longer. Then what are you doing right now?

Jai: I did not tease. I was only saying the truth.

Rano: Mama!

Karuna gets up and waves her hands at them in tired defeat.

Karuna: No more Mama. Your Mama is going to go check on some things. I will be back later.

Rano: No mama, don't leave me alone with Bhaiya!

Jai: Arre, what do I look like to you? Some kind of animal who's going to eat you?

Rano: Worse.

Karuna: (sighs) I will call for Bani, teek hai? Woh tumhe bachaolongi. (trans: She will save you.)

Jai's chuckles subside as he hears Bani's name and he grows silent, which Rano notices right away.

"Bani beta!," Karuna calls out for her across the hall. Bani, who had been speaking to Anu at the entrance way, turns around on being acknowledged. Jai keeps his gaze lowered as she approaches them at the stage and smiles politely at Rano's mother.

Bani looks elegantly beautiful in a simple light blue faux georgette saree with sequins and bead work on the border and blouse. She wears her hair out in wavy subtle curls and has long dangling earrings adorning her ears as well silver bangles as her only jewelry.

Bani's Saree:

 

 

Bani: Ji Aunty?

Karuna: (returning the smile) Beta, tum yahan Rano ke paas baatsakti ho? Mujhe zarra kaam hai… Please. (trans: Beta, will you sit here with Rano? I have some work.)

Bani switches her gaze over to Rano and sees Jai there beside her, looking elsewhere. Her heart rises on the sight of him, looking gallantly handsome in a black attire, seeming every bit like the prince he is. Her cheeks bloom red on the thought and she turns her attention back to Aunty, who waits for her reply.

Bani: (sweetly) J-Ji… I don't mind… Aap jaasakte… (trans: You may go.)

Karuna flashes a thankful smile before vanishing off to complete some pending work. Bani hesitantly nears Rano and Jai at the stage, shyly tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear, and ignores the knowing look on her best friend's face.

Just as Bani sits down on the other side of Rano, Jai rubs the back of his neck nervously and says hastily, "Uh Rano, main chaalta hoon… Tum yahan tumhari friends ke saath baathein karo… Main Uncle se milta hoon…" Bani's face falls with disappointment on him leaving but is surprised on seeing Rano quickly take hold of his arm, preventing him from going. (trans: Uh, Rano, I'll take your leave… You stay here and talk with your friends… I will go and meet Uncle.)

Rano: Kya Bhaiya… You don't want to tease me anymore? Whenever Mama and Papa aren't around, you always take advantage of the opportunity to do so even more. Aab kya hua?

Jai: Kuch nahi… I just really think I should at least meet Uncle.

Rano: (retorts) You see Papa all the time. You are here today for me, not him. You stay put right here. Aapki behen ki shaadi hai… aapka uncle ka nahi… (trans: It is your sister's wedding… not your uncle's.)

Jai: Main yahan saab laadkiyan ke beech kya karoonga? (trans: What will I do here amongst all you girls?)

Rano: Yeh aapne saahi kaha…Hey Bani, Bhaiya kya karega? (trans: You are right… Hey Bani, what will Bhaiya do?)

Bani blushes with having Jai's eyes on her at that precise moment. She lowers her head and softly answers…

Bani: Tumse baath karega … tumhari shaadi ke baare… Veer ke baare mein poochonge… tum dono ke plans sunoge… (trans: He will talk to you… about your wedding… ask about Veer…. Listen to both of your plans.)

Rano: Correct! ---Aapne suna Bhaiya?! Aap yeh saabh karoonge… joh Bani neh kaha… (trans: Did you hear bhaiya?! You will do everything that Bani has said.)

Jai keeps his eyes on Bani, whereas she avoids looking back at him….

Rano: Aab jhaldi se poochlo…. Yeh mauka aapko phir kabhi nahi milonga… I will refuse to tell later. (trans: Now ask quickly. You won't get this chance ever again.)

Jai: Teek hai… Tum dono neh kya kya plans----

Rano: Wait, wait, wait!

Rano bites down on her tongue and hits herself on her head.

Rano: Main to bhulgi! Main to Bani ko aapse introduce bhi nahi kiya! Sorry na, bad manners. ---- Bhaiya, yeh hai meri best friend, Bani Dixit! Hum Mumbai mein mile the… aur tab se best friends raahe! Aur yeh yahan--- (trans: I forgot! I did not introduce Bani to you!---Bhaiya, this is my best friend! We both met in Mumbai and have been friends since then.)

Bani glares at Rano, not understanding what she is up to. Her friend knows that she and Jai have met. Then what is she doing?

Jai: You don't need to do introductions… Hum phele bhi milchuke… Kiran Aunty ki baanji hai… main yeh jaanta hoon… (trans: We have met before… She is Kiran Aunty's niece… I know this.)

Rano: (feigning shock) Oh, really? … Then you two must already be friends! ----Isn't she wonderful Bhaiya?

Jai: (stammers, sheepishly) … H-hain… woh to hai…

Bani blushes further and stares down at her lap. Rano smiles widely, pleased by his response.

Rano: Bani bilkul meri behen jaise hai… isliye you will see her doing a lot of work and dancing for my wedding. Bani se better dancer hai nahi! She is simply amazing… Aap dekhiye na… kaise who saab ki aur aapki hosh uraadongi… (winks) (trans: Bani is just like my sister… No one is a better dancer than bani. You just watch how she leaves you and everyone else senseless…)

Bani: Ranoo… (terribly shy, pleading for her to stop)

Rano: Arre, saach to kaehri hoon main … Dekhiye bhaiya, meri behen saab kuch khar rahi hai meri shaadi ke liye… aap kya karoonge? (trans: I am saying the truth…Look Bhaiya, my sister is doing everything possible for my wedding…. What will you do?)

Jai: Main yahan hoon… kya yeh tumhare liye kaafi nahi hai? (trans: I am here… Is that not enough for you?)

Rano: Not at all…

Jai: To phir kya chaati ho tum? (trans: Then what do you want?)

Rano: Arre, a little work for my wedding would be nice Bhaiya. It would show that you actually care for me…

Jai: Accha, to phir tum sochti ho ke main tumhari shaadi ke liye kuch bhi nahi kaar raha hoon… (trans: Oh, so you think I'm not doing anything for your wedding?)

Rano: That's what it seems like…

Rano yelps in pain as Jai tugs hard on her ear.

Jai: Hey chashmesh, who do you think helped in decorating your mandap today, huh? Who ordered the flowers for your wedding? Who helped Aunty send out cards? Who's managing your reception at your father's hotel?

Rano: Ow, Bhaiya! (whining)

Bani stifles her giggles as she watches this cute relationship of brother and sister displayed right before her. She smiles softly at the scene and watches with silent eyes as Jai chuckles and enjoys harassing Rano, who pleads for him to stop. As far as she has known him, she has never seen him so relaxed and behaving truly like himself without any self restraints.

Rano: Okay, main maanti hoon ke aap baut saara kuch khar rahe hai… Sorry that I doubted you. But seriously Bhaiya, this is not a way to treat the bride-to-be.

Jai: Oh really? Then how am I supposed to? Am I supposed to get you a throne and carry you around in it?

Rano: (smirks) That's not such a bad idea.

Bani, who hears Karuna call out for her, slips away without interfering in their new banter and doesn't attract much notice to herself…. It isn't until awhile that Rano again concedes defeat and looks to her side for some support from her friend, only not to find her there.

Rano: Arre, yeh Bani kahan chaalagayi? ---Bhaiya did you see where she went? (trans: Arre, where has Bani gone?)

Jai: (equally surprised) No… I didn't know that she left.

Rano: Kahan gaayi hai woh… Hey Preeti, did you see where Bani went? (trans: Where did she go…)

Rano asks a girl behind her, who was involved in deep discussion with the other girls around her.

Preeti: She left quite awhile ago. I don't know where she went though.

Rano: Kamaal hai… yeh Bani bhi naa… She is supposed to stay by my side.

Jai: Woh kyon?

Rano: Arre, she is my best friend! Obviously I need her with me at all times.

Jai: I will never be able to understand you girls. You all just can't bear a moment without one another. Haar jaaga peh dekho, tum saab hamesha ek dusre ke saath ho. (trans: Wherever you look, you all are always together.)

Rano: Yes, because we all would just die without each other. (emphasizing die) …. Bhaiya… please, aap zarra dekho ke woh hai kahan… I want her to be the first to apply mehendi on me… (trans: Please, would you go see where she is.)

Jai: Rano, she's not a little girl that has to be looked after… She'll find her way back. Maybe she's busy in some work.

Rano: But you heard Preeti, she left awhile ago. What could possibly be keeping her so busy for so long? Please jaaye na… Aur waise bhi, it's getting time for the girls to perform, and she's the one who's going to start it off.

Jai: Raanoo… if you want her here so bad, then why don't you go?

Rano: Arre, I have haldi on me all over… I'm not gonna go walking around. Please, Bhaiya.

Jai: (grim) I'll send Anu to go look for her.

Rano: No, no---not her, only you.

Jai: (raises a brow) Kyon?

Rano licks her lips nervously with his fixed eyes on her as she tries to come up with a decent excuse quickly.

Rano: Don't you see? She's busy at the moment. She's talking to her friends. Bechari wants to catch up with them. Don't disturb her. You on the other hand are doing absolutely nothing. So you can go and look for her.

Jai: But----

Rano: Bhaiya, just do it. (demanding)

Jai scowls as he gives Rano one last look before getting up and walking off. Rano smiles in victory while watching him go away in search of her friend….

************************************************************

Jai wasn't really planning on going to find Bani. In fact, he didn't feel it was necessary. She would eventually come back. Rano was panicking for no reason. And why should it be him that goes to look for her? It wasn't until Karuna Aunty bumped into him and worriedly asked him if he knew where she was. That was when he was beginning to get worried as well.

"I sent her to get the camera from my room, but that was such a long time ago. I haven't seen her since," she said with concern and slight confusion. He took her hands and simply nodded comfortingly. "I'll find her", he replied before looking around….

*************************************************************

Bani, after a few moments of searching, found the digital camera and made her way out of the Karuna's room to go on back downstairs, where the occasion was taking place. As she looks through the camera curiously, she hears a bark and looks up to find Rano's large brown and black dog staring at her with his paws stretched out, preparing to leap out into a run. She is astonished to see him there as he was strapped and kept safely away from everyone in one of the guest rooms. She panics just as he does so, headed straight at her and quickly tries to doge him by rushing into one of the rooms, only to have him following her tail. Not knowing how else to avoid the humongous dog, she gets herself up onto the dresser in the room and watches the dog excitedly trying to reach her, jumping up high, seeming as if he wants to attack her…..

*****************************************************************

Karuna Aunty had said she sent Bani to her room, so that is where he went first. On reaching the top of the stairs, he hears a familiar barking and muffled sounds coming from the end of the hallway. He hurriedly follows the noise and turns the doorknob, swinging the door open revealing a shocking surprise to him. He watches momentarily as Peter leaps up high to get Bani, who stands on top of the dresser, begging him to leave her alone…. Bani leans back frighteningly against the wall behind her, placing both hands on it, and looks absolutely helpless without a clue of how to handle the situation. That is when Jai steps in and grabs Peter by his loose leash, trying to pull him back away from her.

Jai: (demanding tone) Peter, no! Get back! Sit down you damn dog. Sit!

Peter whimpers and listens to Jai after struggling with him for awhile. Jai pats his head gently before eyeing a scarred Bani, who stares back at him wide eyed. He offers his hand to her in order to help her get down from the high height from the dresser top to the floor.

Jai: Sorry about Peter. He just gets excited when he sees people he likes. He means no harm.

Bani: (her voice trembling) But he was attacking me…

Bani slips her small hand into his while Jai lazily smiles at what she says….

Jai: He's not vicious. He's a friendly dog…. a little too friendly at times. He perhaps just wanted you to pet him…

As Bani makes a movement to get down with the support from Jai, Peter immediately gets up from his sitting position and once again starts pouncing up and down, eager to greet Bani while barking mad. Bani pulls back and gives Jai a worried look, who tries to move the dog back and out of the way.

Jai: He really seems to like you…. (clearly amused as he's never seen him so excited before)

Bani: Can you tell him not to like me? (feebly asks)

Jai tries hard not to laugh at her cute innocence and settles for a grin instead.

Jai: It seems impossible at this point. He is clearly dazzled by you. (light chuckle)

Peter grows more and more eager by the second and Jai finds that he can't get Bani down without having her attacked by the dog. He does something that catches Bani off guard… he pulls her forward with their still clasped hands and swings her up in his arms, causing her to softly gasp and stare at him with a bewildered expression. She brings her arms around his neck and hugs herself close to him as Peter starts to climb up against Jai's legs to reach her….burying her face into the crook of his neck. Jai lightly pushes him back with his leg and begins to walk out from the room with Peter following after them. Knowing very well that this would be the only way in handling Peter, Jai uses Bani to lure him back into the guest room as his black eyes are transfixed on her. Reaching the end of the hall, Jai kicks open the door and gingerly places Bani onto the bed. However, Bani protectively hangs onto him for dear life as Peter once again heads for her, looking thrilled. Jai steps in front of Bani's view, blocking it from the dog and takes him by his leash. He leads him over to the other end of the room where he ties him to a desk leg. Jai gives Peter a sympathetic smile while petting him affectionately…

Jai: You're a good dog… but you're just scaring her at the moment. Be a good boy and stay here.

In a sulky manner, Peter sits down next to the desk and sinks his head onto his front legs. Jai turns around and looks at Bani, who still stares at Peter cautiously. He smiles reassuringly at her…

Jai: It's fine now… He won't get out this time.

Bani slowly moves off of the bed and joins him where he stands. She looks at him embarrassed with her cheeks slightly pink.

Bani: (softly) Thank you…

Jai: (nods his head, acknowledging her gratitude) … Karuna aunty and Rano were getting worried about where you disappeared off to…

Bani: (sheepish) Hain woh… I just didn't know how to take care of him… I saw him and panicked… He wouldn't let me go.

Jai: (soft smile) I understand… You should go on downstairs… Rano's waiting for you.

Bani: You're not coming?

Jai: I'll be down in a minute…. But you go on….

Bani nods her head and gives him one last hesitant look before leaving from the room, her heart thumping loudly against her chest. She arrives downstairs with blushed cheeks…..

Jai looks back over to Peter and grabs him a chew toy to keep him occupied. He also turns to leave, but seeing the digital camera left behind on the bed stops him. He takes it into his hands and proceeds on downstairs himself…

********************************************************

Just as Bani comes off the last step of the stairs, Karuna aunty approaches her with query.

Karuna: Arre Bani beta, where were you? I was getting worried?

Bani: (embarrassed) Woh.. aunty… I got caught up by the dog. He got loose and wouldn't let me go.

Karuna: Peter is out of his leash? (worried)

Bani: Nahi nahi, not anymore. The problem is handled.

Karuna: Well have you brought the camera like I asked you to?

Bani is about to answer in an affirmative until she realizes that she has left it upstairs as she was so caught up in being harassed by the dog. She curses herself. Before she can even apologize to Karuna, she hears a voice from behind cut her off….

"Here it is Aunty… sorry for the delay," Jai answers for her instead, coming off the last step of the stairs as well, standing right beside her. Karuna gladly takes it from him and smiles.

Karuna: Thank you beta….

Jai just grins. Bani blushes by their close proximity. Karuna turns to her.

Karuna: Bani beta, you should hurry on now. Rano has been waiting for you for awhile now. Besides, the girls say that they are ready to perform.

Bani: Ji.

Jai watches Bani leave in a flash and disappear into the crowds of people….. It isn't until awhile later that he spots her again…..

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Hearing music begin and the assembling of girls turns the guests' attention over to the dance floor. The performance starts off with a lead girl in the front with the rest as background dancers behind her. Her back is turned faced to the audience and gracefully her hips move rhythmically along the beat of the music…..

Chunari chunari

Chunari chunari

Chunari chunari

Chunari chunari ……

 

Lal ganj ke lal bangle se lal chunariya layi….

She turns, revealing herself to the audience, and sways across the dance floor…. The crowd erupts into encouraging cheers. Jai, who stands off to the edge of the stage sharing a drink with Obreoi Uncle, is thunderstruck on the sight of Bani performing, looking gorgeous in a beautiful red and orange lehenga choli that does justice to her figure…..

Bani's Lehenga:

Chunari Chunari

Chunari chunari

Lal rang me daal daal ke lal lal rangvaayi

Chunari Chunari

Chunari chunari

The girls behind her wave their dupattas around in sync to the music while Bani continues to dance beautifully before them in a playful manner…..

Aaja na chhoole meri chunari sanam

Kuchh na mein boloon tujhe meri kasam

Aayi jawani sar pe mere

Tere pe kya karoon jawani pe rehem

Aaja na chhoole meri chunari sanam

Kuchh na mein boloon tujhe meri kasam

Aayi jawani sar pe mere

Tere pe kya karoon jawani pe rehem

Hay

Aaja na chhoole meri chunari sanam

Kuch na mein boloon tujhe meri kasam

Chunari Chunar

Chunari Chunari

Meri chunari lal rang ki sharmaaye ghabraaye

Tu jo daale ispe nazar ye aur lal ho jaaye

Chunari Chunari

Chunari Chunari

Preeti, the girl from before, dressed under the disguise of a male, appears onto the stage and takes a hold of Bani's dupatta and lips sings along the lyrics. Rano blushes bright red as she realizes that the man is supposed to be Ranveer, dressed in a similar fashion as him, and her friend is supposed to resemble her…..The guest laugh at this in an amused manner.

Teri chunari lipat lipat ke pagal mujhe banaaye

Pehle se hi tadap raha tha aur mujhe tadpaaye

Jane tamanna kar na aise sitamb

Preeti pulls on the stole and causes Bani to twirl into her arms and together they move their shoulders in coordination.

Kuch na mein bolu tujhe meri kasam

Aayi jawani sar pe mere

Tere pe kya karoon jawani pe rehem

Hay

Aaja na chhoole meri chunari sanam

Kuchh na mein boloon tujhe meri kasam

Aayi jawani sar pe mere

Tere pe kya karoon jawani pe rehem

Chunari Chunari

Chunari Chunari

They begin to dance one on one after Preeti drapes the dupatta around her own shoulders and follows Bani's in pursuit….

Chikne Chikne badan se tere sar sar chunari sarke

Aisa lage ke bin baadal ambar pe bijli kadke

Chunari Chunari

Chunari Chunari

Jee karta ye bijli mein tujhpe aaj bithaoon

Tujhko bhar loon baahon mein ye chunari tujhe udaoon

Badta hi jaye dard ho na khatam

Kuch na mein bolu tujhe meri kasam

Hoo...

Aayi jawani sar pe mere

Tere pe kya karoon jawani pe rehem

Hay hay

Aaja na chhoole meri chunari sanam

Kuchh na mein boloon tujhe meri kasam

Aayi jawani sar pe mere

Tere pe kya karoon jawani pe rehem .

Taking the stole, Preeti brings it around Bani and teasingly dances with her for a moment before releasing her, making her weave out of the dupatta and twirl off stage only to fall into a pair of masculine arms that steady her….

Aaja na choole meri chunari sanam

Kucch na mein boloon tujhe meri kasam….

Bani glances up and meets Jai's intense gray eyes that stare back at her as well. She feels her breath caught in her throat….

Chunari chunari

Chunari chunar

Chunari chunri

Chunari chunari…..

Slowly the music fades out and the cheerful applause and whistling from the audience is what brings them out of their eye lock. Jai awkwardly lets go of her from his hold… Bani blushes and doesn't meet his eyes afterwards as Preeti comes after her and brings her to the center of the stage to give a courteous bow. Rano gets up from her seated position and approaches the both of them on the dance floor, hitting them first in a scolding manner for embarrassing her so much, but then lovingly taking them into an emotional hug.

Jai watches Bani being led away with the other girls with a besotted look and sees her shyly glancing back at him before leaving from his sight…..

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I know, very boring part. Still, nonethless, please leave comments

Hume Tumse Hua Hai Pyaar Chapter 4

Two slow weeks pass by with Jai and Bani carrying on with their lives by resuming to their daily routine, busying themselves as much as they can. Much too both of their secret disappointment, they did not meet much again after dinner at Kiran's. However, they never failed to think about one other…filling their mind in the other's thoughts. While Jai drove himself insane of questioning himself why he happens to ponder about her and whether what he feels is simply plain old attraction, Bani grows anxious and uneasy with her developing feels toward a man she barely knows….

**************************************************************

Rano catches her friend humming softly to herself, looking in a rather happier state than usual, and mindlessly drawing whatever comes to her mind on the blank sheet before her, clearly not hearing the instructions given to her. She nudges her hard, trying to grab her attention.

Bani: Ouch. What is with you Rano?

Rano: Me? I should be asking you that question instead. What is wrong with you?

Bani: Why? What am I doing?

Rano: You are humming! (whispers)

Bani: So? ---- I did not know that humming was a crime here.

Rano: (rolls her eyes) No, that's not what I meant. I mean you are humming, which isn't normal for you. Especially when you are in a large classroom with other people around you. Did you care to notice that?

Realization striking upon her, Bani switches her gaze around and finds a few people nearby casting her strange looks. She flushes and looks back at Rano.

Rano: You are not even paying attention either. It's like you are in a different world and I can't even reach you. And you are not following instructions.--- We're supposed to draw something with an inner meaning. Not a silly pair of eyes.

Bani feels hurt and offended by her comment, more than she normally would. That is because the eyes that she had chosen to draw weren't any ordinary pair of eyes…. A cool, steel color of gray tinted with a certain gleam in them.

Bani: (defensive) This has meaning…

Rano: (raising a brow) Really? The only thing I see is that those eyes are staring right at you…

Bani: You are ignorant, which is why you can't see anything more than that….

Rano: (sighs) Would you care to tell me what's up with you lately? Ever since this morning you have been acting strange. You're humming…daydreaming…in a world of your own…smiling like a fool…. It's like you're in love or something….

Seeing her friend's face turn a dark shade of red from her playful suggestion causes Rano to gasp out loud, drawing mostly everyone's attention in the room.

Rano: You are! You are, aren't you?

Bani: Ssshhhhh!!!!

Bani looks around, paranoid, and smiles feebly at everyone around her. They shake their heads at them and resume back to their pictures. She breathes out a sigh of relief and glares at Rano.

Bani: Can you be any louder?

Rano: Oh Bani, tell me, who is he? How did you meet him? How did this happen? (clearly excited, in a happier mood now)

Bani: Rano…(embarrassed, continuing to turn red) I don't even know how it happened… It just did and so fast… I mean…I've only known about him for a little while…. Is it possible for a person to fall in love in such a small amount of time?

Rano: Of course it is! It's normally called love at first sight and maybe that's what you experienced except it took you a little longer to realize it. Tons of people fall in love quickly all the time. It's not unusual.

Bani: But it's so strange….I mean, how can a person all of a sudden mean my whole life in such a short period of time?

Rano: That's the beauty of love Bani… You don't question it, you just go with it. You can't help feel what you feel. It's simply uncontrollable--- it's out of your hands. But all that matters is that you feel amazing and happier than anything before. It's a wonderful sensation. ---Now tell me, who is he?

Bani: (shy, slowly) …. He is the same guy I was telling you about at the Fair.

Rano: (enthusiastic) Arre, tell me the lucky guy's name…

Bani: (whispers, blushing) His name is Jai Walia…

Rano stills as she hears the name coming from her lips. It takes her a few blanked out moments to respond.

Rano: (shocked) Jai Walia?-----Jai Walia as in the tall, dark, and the most handsomest man in town? The one who works at the Star Hotel? He has two siblings, Saahil and Rano?

Bani: (nodding her head in confirmation, curious) Yes, but how do you know all this?

Rano: Oh Bani, I can't believe this… You are in love with Jai bhaiya? This is so surreal… I mean, it's because I've known him for so long. And I know you so well too.

Bani: (confused) Jai is your bhaiya?

Rano: (shakes her head) Well not really… He is not blood related to me at all… But he is one of my dad's good friend's son. And our families used to be very close when his parents were still alive. I grew up and spent a lot of my childhood with him. That was until things changed when he moved for some time and then I went off to Mumbai.

Bani: You still speak to him?

Rano: Of course, whenever I get the time to see him. He's so busy that it's hard to ever reach him---but he's been like that for years now. Even after moving to Mumbai for a bit and coming back we still kept our old family-friend relationship intact. He's also working under Papa---- I'm always complaining to Papa to calm the stress level work he gives him, but it seems Jai bhaiya takes it gladly with no complaints.

Bani: Why is that?

Rano: (shrugs) That is just the way he is….Bhaiya's really something Bani. Guys like him are very hard to find these days. …….When I think about it now, you two would make a very cute couple. He's determined and headstrong while you're calm and gentle. It's a great match indeed. Hopefully with your influence in his life, he can learn to relax.

Bani: (blushes) Now I wouldn't go that far.

Rano: Why not? You say that you love him right?

Bani: (admitting shyly)…Yes, I do… There's never a moment when I'm not thinking about him….when I don't want to see him ----But I can't allow my hopes to rise like this. Not when I don't even know if he feels the same way about me. I mean, we've only had a short exchange of words here and there and a couple of bumps into each other because of my clumsiness. He drops by Mausi's house a few times. But that's it…. How can he possibly feel what I feel for him?

Rano: Well if he doesn't yet, he will soon… You're a beautiful girl Bani. How can he not fall in love with you?

Bani: Rano, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I mean, it's too much that we're hoping for… Too much that I'm hoping for

Rano: Hmph. Then you clearly don't have enough guts to go after what you want…. What are you going to do Bani? Draw his eyes for the rest of your life instead?

Bani: How did you----

Rano: It went right home after you told me about him. Besides, I can recognize those eyes anywhere. He's one of the few with eyes other than the color brown in this town.

Bani shakes her head in exasperation from her suggestion and her mixed feelings.

Bani: I just don't know what to do Rano… Maybe we should let it be and run its course. Who knows, maybe I'm not in love with him and am only mistaken

Rano: (snorts, scoffs) I highly doubt that missy! I mean, judging by the exact detail and depth you have put into your drawing--- it's clearly obvious how much you love him.

The instructor interrupts in the middle of their silence by announcing the end of class and remarking that he has seen some fantastic pieces of work on his walk around the room. Bani packs her utensils and her picture while Rano suggests that they eat out for lunch, saying that it was required now after what she has discovered…..

***************************************************************

Kiran: Oh Jai, you are such an angel!

Jai grins boyishly at her as she raids through the grocery bags held up in his arms. She takes a few from him, helping him out.

Kiran: Really, you need to stop doing so many favors for me. You are spoiling me. Very soon I won't even be seen around town at all if you keep taking over my errands!

Jai: That is my actual intention Aunty… No offense but everyone would rather have you stay put at home. They're getting a little tired of spotting you around in public lately.

Jai chuckles as he ducks behind his bags while Kiran lightly slaps him a few times on his arm.

Kiran: You are horrible Jai Walia. (whines)

Jai: (still laughing) Arre Aunty, you take me too seriously. Main to mazak khar raha tha… Saach to yeh hai ke saab apko miss kaarte hai… Har waqt sochte hai ke kaash woh kabsoorat Ms. Sharma kabhi nazar mein aati… (trans: I was just joking… The truth is that everyone misses you. All the time they wonder how they wish that beautiful Ms. Sharma would come into sight.)

Kiran now flushes darkly while Jai continues to laugh at her expense. She points to the kitchen while glaring at him, not liking him anymore at the moment with his teasing. Jai pokes his tongue in his cheek and follows her instruction. He holds in his chuckle and walks further into the house, on his way over to the kitchen. Just as he starts to approach it, he passes by the living room and momentarily glances into it….then his eyes wander everywhere else, seeming as if he were looking for someone. Kiran catches this.

Kiran: Kya hua? Why are you looking around like you've never seen this house before?

Jai: (startled) Huh? Oh, no, nothing. I was just wondering---- aap akele ghar peh hai? Where is your niece? (trans: You are home alone?)

Kiran: Hain. I am alone for now. Bani has an art class in the mornings.

Jai, for some odd reason, is disappointed on hearing this. He had been hoping that…..

Kiran: Kyon? Are you missing her?

Jai: (embarrassed, stammers) W-what? No… Of course not. I barely even know her. I was just simply wondering…. She is usually here most of the time.

Kiran: Hmm-hmmmm. (teasingly, nodding her head in mock agreement)

Jai: Kya?

Kiran: (innocently) Kya?

Jai: What was that "Hmm-hmm" for? You don't believe me?

Kiran: Arre, of course I believe you… I just don't believe you are telling me the whole truth.

Jai: (retorts) Aunty, she is your niece for heaven's sake… I would never-----

Kiran: Never what? (cutting him off)

Jai: Never…(stalling, uncomfortable with the topic)

Kiran: Kaho na… what would you never do regarding my niece? (raises a brow)

Kiran wants to burst into laughter so bad on seeing Jai's face expression. He is absolutely tongue-tied and unsure of what to do about it. After a stunned moment he reacts…

Jai: Aunty…please.

Kiran: What am I doing? I am doing nothing. I just think it's so cute of you to want to see her.

To her amazement, Jai actually blushes by this and he rubs the back of his neck, awkwardly.

Jai: You are taking things completely out of hand. I never said I wanted to see her nor was I looking for her. I merely asked if you were here alone. I didn't think your niece would have plans already so soon after recently coming to town

Kiran: You know Jai… It wouldn't hurt to say her name. (a gleam in her eyes, grinning)

Again he looks painfully embarrassed. Knowing that she is going overboard and pushing it, Kiran decides to step back and cool it. Hence, she lets go of her desire to tease him mercilessly---even though she has been waiting to do this ever since the dinner two weeks ago.

Kiran: Accha baba, I am sorry. I promise, I won't make fun of you anymore. Now cheer up and help me load these things into the refrigerator….

*****************************************************************

Rano: Now… what do you want to know

Bani: (breathes) ….Anything that you are able to tell me. What kind of person he is… What life he has here

Rano smiles to Bani across the restaurant table, feeling proud of her friend for loving such an honorable man like Jai Walia. She takes her friend's hand in hers and expresses this thought…

Rano: Really Bani… I am glad you have fallen in love with a man like Jai Bhaiya… I have never seen such an honest and true person like him before in my life. ... He's a very good person who was raised with values and principles instilled in him. He's polite and respectful to almost everyone or anyone. He's very helpful and dedicates most of his time to others. He's like our town's superman. ---- Bhaiya was born and raised here in Mount Abu. He's lived his whole life in this town. When he was sixteen, his parents died from a fatal car accident leaving him an orphan.

Bani slowly nods her head in acknowledgment, remembering that Anu had brought up their parent's death at the Dinner.

Rano: He and his siblings were given custody to his Mausi until she too died three years later from cancer. Bhaiya by then had already joined Papa's hotel and was in the middle of his studies. He pronounced himself to be Saahil and Anu's guardian and to financially support them. It was a really courageous thing of him to do when he already had so much on his plate, stress from Billo Mausi's death, school, and work. He's been taking care of his brother and sister ever since then and has made them his number one priority. Nothing matters to him more than his small little family.

Bani looks attentively at Rano, taking in everything that she says….wanting to know as much as she can about Jai, a stranger who managed to steal her heart at one glance. She watches as Rano suddenly becomes uncertain and serious at the same time.

Rano: Now Bani… Jai… he's not from the same background as you… He lives a very average middle-class life and works hard to provide for himself and his siblings---he's not anything that you are used to back in Mumbai.

Bani: (offended) Rano, I would had thought you would know me better than that. I would never judge him or anyone for the matter just by their class. I am not interested in his money. Besides, you know very well how I feel about my life back in Mumbai. I feel detached from it, like I don't belong there…

Rano: Bani, forgive me, I'm sorry for offending you. I just wanted to make sure you understood his living circumstances before jumping into things. I mean, you are from such a wealthy background… whereas Jai Bhaiya has had to struggle to get everything he has today. ---And I do know how you feel about Mumbai… You were never really cut out for the lifestyle. One can never take you as a rich brat.

Rano caresses Bani's hand comfortingly while speaking soothingly to her. Bani feels better on hearing her reasoning for her doubts and smiles reassuringly at her.

Bani: Rano, don't you worry. I know what I have gotten myself into by falling in love with Jai Walia…

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Jai stands straight after placing the last gallon of milk into the refrigerator and announces, "I think it's time for me to leave." Kiran looks at him startled.

Kiran: You have just come beta. Stay for a little bit. ----Please don't tell me you have to work. I thought it was your day off today.

Jai: It is. I just promised Anu that I'd take her to the art museum downtown. She's been begging me to take her for awhile now. And since I have time today, I thought I'd finally will.

Kiran: Oh? How coincidental…

Jai: What is

Kiran: Bani had told me earlier this morning that she wanted to go there as well today.

His heart for some unfathomable reason races on hearing this…..

Kiran: She said she would go there right after she comes home… She should be coming back here right about now… Why don't you take her along Jai?

Jai strangely becomes uncomfortably nervous on hearing this and begins to dread the suggestion. Take her along with him? Just the two of them?----That too on his motorbike? He didn't think that was such a good idea… especially for him.

Kiran: Yes, that's a good idea. Take her with you. That way she won't have to walk, like how she insists she wants to everywhere, or wait on Rano to give her a ride. You two are going to the same place, it'd be wise to just go together.

Jai: … I…. I don't know Aunty. (sounding unsure)

Kiran: (puzzled) Why, what's wrong in that?

Jai: Well you had said she should be here ten minutes ago, and she's still not here. I don't think I can afford to wait for too long. Anu's getting really impatient waiting at home.

Kiran: (muses out loud) She normally doesn't take this long to come home… .. (sighs) Teek hai beta… You may go. I don't want Anu to wait for too long.

Jai: (relieved) Ji… I'll see you later Aunty.

He pecks her on the cheek before walking out from the kitchen and over to the front door. As he takes his coat from the rack and pulls it on him, the large wooden door swings open revealing a gorgeous Bani wearing blue jeans, a simple white shirt with a black coat over it, a light brown abstract scarf wrapped loosely around her neck, and her beautiful silky hair placed in a high ponytail… Her cheeks are a lovely pink from the chilly cold outside and she carries a notepad and utensils in her small hands held lightly against her chest. Her fair porcelain face stares up at him in surprising shock from her 5'7" height compared to his 6'2" intimidating frame that hovers over her. Her wide alluring eyes penetrate into his own and neither of them speak… their breathing in sync… That is until Kiran comes walking out in the front hall after hearing the bolting door open and brings the both of them back to reality…

Kiran: Oh Bani, good you are home. I was starting to worry.

Jai watches as Bani unwillingly switches her attention towards Kiran, her eyes flying right past his left shoulder. She smiles apologetically and looks at her sincerely…

Bani: I'm sorry mausi… I got caught up in lunch with Rano… I didn't mean to make you worry

Kiran: It's alright now. You're home, that's all that matters. Now… I remember you telling me that you want to visit the art museum that's downtown?

Bani nods her head, and from the corner of her eye sees Jai casually look the other way as Kiran mentions this.

Bani: I was going to walk for a little bit and then catch a rickshaw for the rest of the trip there.

Kiran: (quickly intervening) A rickshaw? Heavens no, your father would personally kill me if he learns that you even touched one.

Jai raises a brow at this from intrigued interest and Bani catches this. She blushes of wondering what he thinks about her now.

Bani: He won't have to know… You don't need to tell him.

Kiran: (short laugh) I'd be insane if I were to tell him… But your father has his ways on finding out things. You may never know, there may be some of his henchmen around here to keep an eye on you.

Bani: He would never do that mausi, he trusts you.

Kiran: Hmph… trust my foot. If only you knew….

Bani opens her mouth to cut in and ask her what she means by that, but stops herself as she realizes too much is being said in front of Jai who continues to stand like an intruding stranger in their conversation. Instead she concedes defeat…

Bani: Okay, I'll somehow arrange a ride with Rano instead.

Kiran: Oh that girl is always late for everything and you know that too Bani… I don't want you to wait for her the whole day. What I was going to suggest was that you should go with Jai instead. He is going there just now after picking Anu up from his house. And I know how much you and Anu are already getting so close----if I'm not mistaken about all the phone calls you two give each other.

Bani flushes further as Jai looks even more intrigued on hearing this. She avoids looking at him.

Kiran: By this excuse you will get to meet and spend time with her. And if you three are going to the same place, might as well go together. Haina Jai?

Jai clears his throat after finally being acknowledged and hesitantly nods his head in agreement after a short moment.

Jai: Yes Aunty… That does make sense.

What else could he say? No, I don't want your niece coming with me because I'm afraid that I'm very attracted to her? Oh yeah, that would really help him.

Bani slowly switches her eyes back onto him to find his eyes staring back at her as well. She can feel her heart pounding hard and her stomach twist in knots from both excitement and fear. A part of her didn't trust herself to be alone with him, but the other part---the majority---wants to be with him no matter what. Her heart flips at the quiet, long look he gives her…

Bani: (softly) Would you mind taking me along with you?

On hearing her soft angelic voice ask him so innocently to take her along, Jai couldn't find it in himself to refuse to her… In fact he would have even been willing to agree if she were to tell him to eat glass out of her hand right at that moment.

Jai: (softly back) No, … I'd be glad to.

Her eyes shine brightly at him and he stares into them, completely mesmerized.

Bani: I will be right back down… I need to change.

And with that she leaves him waiting for her restlessly by the stairs and glides to her room happily, feeling like she's floating on cloud nine. Kiran chuckles inwardly on seeing Jai's bewildered expression after realizing what he had agreed to. ………

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Jai lingers near his bike, resting his back against it as he waits on Bani to come out and join him. He wonders why he is unlike his collected self when it comes to Bani. He's been around many beautiful women before, had his small share of relationships (of course before the drastic change that shook up his whole world), a couple of temptations…. But what is so special about this one? What is it that makes her different from the others? That distinguishes her and makes her so much more fascinating? He shakes his head, clearing away all thoughts on the topic. He can't afford to get himself involved with her…nor can he have a relationship with anyone for the matter. He has his family to think about it. His kids that he needs to raise and make sure of a good future for them. He won't let his selfish motives come in the way of his responsibilities…

His ears become alarmed as he hears footsteps approaching him in a slow pace. He raises his head and locates Bani coming toward him, looking nervously at him and terribly shy, with a hand gripping onto one of her arms .Jai pushes away his discomfort, thinking the last thing he wants to do is make things uncomfortably awkward between them and decides that it would not hurt him to make a friend. Smiling politely at her, Jai motions to her to come near as she hesitantly stands a few feet away from him. He takes his only helmet and extends it over to her.

Jai: You're going to need this.

Bani looks at him for a moment before taking it from him and hugging it against her stomach.

Bani: What about you?

Jai: I'll be fine without it. But I want you to be safe.

Bani gets a tingling warm feeling go through her on hearing his last words. She nods thankfully at him, not able to thank him in words as she is terribly tongue-tied when around him.

Jai: Good. Now I guess we need to get going. Hop on onto the back and we'll get going.

Bani pulls the helmet over her head and feels strange with it on, which Jai notices.

Jai: (friendly grin) Ever worn a helmet before?

Bani: No… I've never been on a motorcycle either. This is all new to me. (admitting shyly)

Jai: Will your father's henchmen hunt me down if they were to see you with me?

She finds herself blushing all over.

Bani: My mausi is an exaggerator. My father would do no such thing. You don't need to worry about getting yourself into any trouble.

Jai: I hope so…. Here, let me help you adjust that.

Bani holds onto her breath as he comes near and fixes the position of the helmet on her head. He smiles handsomely at her as he closes the glass shield of it and she smiles lightly back…

Jai: Alright, you're all set. Hop on.

Jai throws his leg over and seats himself at the front of the bike while Bani muses on how she should sit in the back. She fears of whether she will fall off during the ride. She decides on sitting at a certain angle with her legs on the same side and grips onto her seat to balance her. Jai starts the engine and looks back to check up on her. He sees worry and slight fear etched on her face.

Jai: It'd be better if you held onto me during the ride than the seat. It can get a little rough on the roads.

Nervously after a long hesitant moment, Bani brings her arms around the lower part of his torso and lightly holds on.

Bani: Is this good?

Jai tries to ignore the strong emotion stirring inside of him from her close touch but without much success. He doesn't bother to correct her because he knows once he begins driving her hold on him will become tighter.

Jai: Yes, now stay close.

He turns the gears of his bike, making the engine growl louder, and kicks off with a startling start that knocks the breath out of Bani. Proving himself right, she clings onto him tight and leans her body against his back. He drives them to his house by the shortest route in which he rode his bike in content ease with her arms around him…..

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As they pull up on the driveway, Bani gazes wide at the house before her with her mouth slightly open in awe. It's a beautiful, homey looking white house with small black shutters and a front porch with a bench swing to the side. Rose bushes adorn the sides of the home and she can see a pleasant view of a small garden in the back …. For some reason she felt her spirits rise and her heart soar at the sight …. a strange connection to the house was building inside of her. She had envisioned a home quite similar to this one…. A cute small house with a front porch and driveway, garden in the backyard, a tree out in the front lawn…. It fit perfectly to her ideal description of a home. Her real home back in Mumbai was large in comparison, yet empty and lonely.

"Bani Didi!," Anu squeals in loud delight as she sights Bani coming off of her Bhaiya's motorcycle and walk up the driveway to their house. Bani smiles widely at Anu as she rushes toward her and takes her into a big hug.

Anu: Aap yahan kya khar rahi ho? (trans: What are you doing here?)

Bani: Kyon? Kya main yahan nahi aasakti? (trans: Why? Am I not allowed here?)

Anu: Of course Di, you can come here anytime you want. I am just surprised and very happy that you are here!

Bani: Kiran Mausi told me that you wanted to go see the art museum that's downtown and I had originally planned to go there today as well so she thought it'd be best if we went together.

Anu: Oh Di, we will have so much fun!

Jai approaches them both at the driveway and moves them on over inside saying that they can continue their conversation in the house.

Jai: Anu, where is Saahil?

He questions just as they all come in. Anu takes Bani by the hand and seats her down onto the couch in their living room, wanting to make her comfy and at home.

Anu: He went out with a few of his friends Bhaiya. He said he would come back in a few hours.

Jai shakes his head in disapproval and mutters, "That boy," before wandering off further into the house, vanishing from sight temporarily.

Anu: Di, I'm glad you're here today. I have been dying to meet with you again ever since that dinner at Kiran Aunty's house.

Bani: (affectionately cupping Anu's cheek) So have I Anu…

It is strange how close Bani feels toward this girl in front of her. In fact, she truly believes that they were meant to be sisters. Its remarkable how much they have in common and how their personalities resemble closely together. Perhaps they had been sisters in one of their past lifetimes, which would explain a lot… What makes her want to believe in this more and more is the way Anu always addresses her by "Didi". Bani has no siblings nor any close cousins so she has never experienced that wonderful joy of being looked up to by someone younger.

Anu: Have you ever seen the museum Di

Bani: No, I haven't. I heard from a friend of mine that it's wonderful and that I have to visit it whenever I get the time.

Anu: It is true, it's a wonderful museum. I always visit it at least once or twice a year. I would go more but Bhaiya says that there's no need for me to continuously go back and look at the same artworks over and over again.

Bani: Does your Bhaiya not understand what art means to you?

Anu: No, it's not that. He knows what it means and he always buys me supplies so I can draw and buys me occasional paintings as presents. But it becomes into a hassle of him taking me there almost all of the time.

Bani: Well you're old enough to get there yourself, aren't you? Jai doesn't need to take you, does he?

Anu smiles elatedly on being acknowledged as mature adult.

Anu: Bhaiya doesn't approve of me going off to places by myself. It makes him worried and stressed. He prefers that he takes me himself.

Bani is about to question further, not understanding Jai's reasoning. As far as she has gotten to know Anu, she is a very responsible and smart young woman who can handle herself. But she remembers her conversation with Rano previously that Jai's siblings mean a lot to him and he takes his responsibility towards them very seriously. Instead Bani nods her head understandingly. At that moment Jai comes walking back into view with a different set of car keys in his hands and tucking his cell phone into his jean pocket.

Anu: (noticing him) Bhaiya, did you call Saahil?

Jai: Hm. He'll be coming back home sooner than he thought.

Anu hides a smile on hearing this, knowing very well that her brother must have given Saahil a piece of his mind for going off and goofing around with friends when he should be studying for his approaching exams.

Jai: (announces) Let's go…

**************************************************************

Anu and Bani walk close together, side by side, and appreciate the amount of art pieces hanging around the galleries in the museum. Jai follows closely behind, with his hands deep in his pockets, feeling lost and out of place as the girls speak animatedly of the certain art strokes used and the inner meaning of the paintings that most of the time he cannot figure out how they conclude to. But he knows one thing… and that is that Bani can bring an art work to life. Jai is not the one to be amused by this subject, but with the way her velvety voice explains the depictions and small details, tying them together as a whole to create the overall message of the work captivates Jai's attention and mind. He finds himself using this technique of hers in order to understand the art that had always seemed complex to him before.

Later they all decide to get something to eat at the small little caf they have in the museum. Anu and Bani continue their banter on what they had seen and discussing the various impressions they received.

Anu: (suddenly) Bhaiya, which painting was your favorite?

Jai is a little taken aback at this and tries to remember back to what he had seen. There were a lot of quite fascinating works but he finds them not able to hold a candle against the breath taking picture that Bani makes for him right now. She has taken her gorgeous hair out from the pony tail and allows for her tresses to tumble onto her shoulders beautifully, her long curly eyelashes fluttering temptingly ever time her gorgeous honey brown eyes blink, with a tint of green in them, and her pink full lips shining from the subtle gloss applied on them. He takes in a deep breath and averts his eyes off of her, knowing he'd only make it harder for himself to keep away if he keeps on noticing even the littlest things about her that makes her so painfully beautiful.

Jai: (clears his throat) I don't know.

Anu: Bhaiya, were you not paying attention at all when we were in the gallery?

Bani looks at Jai blink slowly at his sister and tries not to laugh at the cute sight he makes right now.

Jai: Of course I was….

He just can't seem to remember what he had seen anymore, all thanks to Bani's thoughts roaming around in his head.

Both Anu and Bani share a smile at this and secretly acknowledge that they don't believe him.

Anu: Sure Bhaiya, if you say so…

Jai: (sighs, admits silent defeat) It doesn't matter whether I enjoyed anything or not, what should matter is that you did. We're here today for you, not me.

Anu instantly smiles at this and brightens up.

Anu: Oh yes I did Bhaiya. I enjoyed even more than usual since Bani Didi was here with us today. ----(turning to Bani) Di, I wish you were really my sister. It would be so fun having you around all the time. Wouldn't it, Bhaiya?

Bani blushes and feels her face heat up with warmth. She watches Jai closely as he looks at Anu's smiling face and grins lightly.

Jai: You can still see her all the time whenever you like princess. -----Do you mind that Bani?

A tingling sensation swarms within her body as she hears her name for the very first time come out from his lips.

Bani: No, not at all. I wouldn't mind. In fact I'd love to have her around.

Anu: Bhaiya, I know I can see her whenever I want. But what I meant was that it would be wonderful if she were actually a part of our family. --------Like if she were to be married to you Bhaiya. That way she would be my sister in a true sense and become my Bhabhi. Oh that would be so great! (clapping her hands together)

Jai coughs immediately after he almost chokes on his water that he had been drinking while Anu had been talking. Bani drops her spoon and flushes dark red from what she has stated. Her, become her bhabhi? Jai's wife? She hadn't even thought of that possibility when she had discovered she was in love with Jai…. She looks over at Jai and nervously watches his reaction. He seems pale and paralyzed by shock just by the very idea.

Anu: Kya? What did I say that was so wrong?

Jai: (regaining himself) Anu, you can't just say stuff like that…. (his voice cracking from his rough coughing)

Anu: Why not? I was just saying what I wanted. And if I don't tell you, then who else will I say it to?

Jai turns to Bani and gives her a sheepish, apologetic look.

Jai: I'm really sorry… My sister can be a little outspoken at times.

Bani, still blushing, shyly shakes her head, showing him that she doesn't mind.

Bani: (softly) It's okay… You don't have to apologize.

Anu: Okay, lagta hai ke Bhaiya raazi nahi hai shaadi ke liye… Paar Di aap Saahil ke saath bhi shaadi kaarsakte! (trans: Okay, looks like bhaiya's not up to the marriage…but you can also marry Saahil!)

Jai's startled to see Bani, instead of taking offense, giggling at the idea and ruffle Anu's hair fondly. He loses himself in her innocent laughter… and his face's features soften.

Bani: Then I am sure Saahil would agree immediately without any hesitation.

Anu: Of course, he is smitten by you…. Hain, hum yehi kaarte hai… Aap Saahil se shaadi kijiye… (trans: Yes, we will do this… You marry Saahil.)

Her laughter long gone, Bani sweetly runs her hand down Anu's hair, smoothing it out.

Bani: Anu, I don't have to be in your family to be family. Blood or marriage is not the only thing that ties people together. It is mainly your heart that does. Dil ka rishta saab rishtoon se alag… aur zyaada kaas hota hai… (trans: The relationship of the heart is different and more special than others.)

Jai looks on at Bani, seeming highly impressed by what she has said.

Anu: Really Di?

Bani: Hain pagli. It does not matter if we are not sisters by blood… We can still be sisters by heart…

Anu: (praising her) That was beautifully said Di… Aur accha hai ke aapne yeh kaha kyon ke main aapki zindagi ko dabaab nahi kaarna chaati aapko Saahil se shaadi kaarwake… (giggling) (trans: And it is good that you have said it because I do not want to ruin your life by having you marry Saahil.)

Bani: Ji, thank you Memsaab… aapne to meri zindaagi ko baachaya. (giggling along with her) (trans: You have saved my life.)

Anu: Don't worry Di, I would never get you married to that duffer despite how desperate I am to have you in the family. He was just a last option since Bhaiya refused… (giving Jai a sad look)

Jai becomes embarrassed by how the discussion has averted back over to him and avoids looking back at Bani, who also like him grows shy again. He runs his fingers through his hair, a very bad habit of his that he can never stop, and eyes his sister.

Jai: I did not refuse…

He answers quietly. He cuts Anu off as he sees her open her mouth excitedly….

Jai: We've been here long enough. We should go.

Bani has to be jolted up from her seat by Anu after Jai suggests he will bring the car to the front of the museum where they will join him. His words, "I did not refuse," continue to whirl around in her head….