The Raging Storm (ARVI) - Chpt 22 - Page 98 - Page 70

Originally posted by: jdronamraju

Modaks are special dumplings kinda dish you make for ganapathi festival. This comes in both spicy and sweet. We hvave been trying to bribe laurie with them to get some rS chapters the way we want :):)

Originally posted by: Aabartan

Dear Laurie,

First of all please accept my heartfelt appreciation for your talent. You are indeed a very gifted writer and you have a bright future as a writer of ff. I have been a silent reader of " The Raging Storm" for a past couple of months and you have indeed created a masterpiece. Please keep writing as this ff is a balm to our tortured soul, especially after Arjun Ovi's marriage fiasco. Don't know if Ekta's stupid CV will ever unite our Arvi. I have stopped watching the show since the marriage crap as it is torturous to watch Arvi separated. But what is more agonizing is not getting chapter 19 for such a long time now.

I'm sorry if as a new member I sound demanding, but you have made me addicted to " The raging storm" and it is not my fault if I am behaving like a drug addict that doesn't get its next dose.

Accept my bow. Hats off to you.

Aabarti

Chapter 19 - Clash of the Titans - [Karan, Arjun]

Flat 502 - London - (Week 4) Sunday - 3:00 am. GMT

Karan gently climbed up the stairs and placed an unconscious Purvi tenderly on her bed. Laurie came in behind him to help him get Purvi situated comfortably.

As Karan straightened up and looked at Purvi's tear stained face, his jaw hardened. He gritted his teeth and Laurie felt his anger that was simmering close to the surface start to boil over.

"How did this happen? What did he do to her?" Karan ground out as he clenched his fist.

Laurie took off Purvi's shoes and covered her with a warm blanket. "I'm not sure how this happened but it didn't start with him."

"What? Then... when? How? Was she drinking? I didn't see her with a drink in hand all night" Karan wheeled around to face Laurie.

"Remember when I came back from dropping off Tej and you said Purvi was still in her flat? Well, when I came down it took her a little while to open the door and when I finally got a good look at her it seemed as though she already had a few drinks by then. The strange thing was she said she didn't have any alcohol and I've never seen her drink otherwise."

"No, I haven't seen her drink either." Karan ran a tense hand through his hair. He sat in the armchair as Laurie sat beside Purvi on the bed.

"She was so distraught when she ran into me. She was crying hysterically. I have never seen her like that before Laurie. It was like she was broken. She was sobbing incoherently and mumbling about Arjun, Ovi, dreams, love and betrayal something or the other. I was about to go 'talk' to Arjun when she fainted and you both came in." Karan sighed and wiped his face with his hands.

"Why was she running away from him? What did he do to her?" That cold, hard edge was back into his voice. A tone, Laurie knew, spelt nothing but painful punishment for the person who got in his way. She tried to distract him.

"Honestly, I didn't understand it either. One minute she was dancing with him and the next she looked like she had seen a ghost. She backed away from him and ran off. I questioned him too but he had this incredulous look on his face as though he couldn't understand her disbelief either. We ran after her and when we came inside she was already in your arms."

Karan stiffened "I have never seen her this unglued and I'm positive her must have said something to her."

"I won't spare him." Karan looked at Laurie with steel resolve in his eyes.

Laurie tried a softer approach to help diffuse the situation. "He looked as scared as you did when she fainted Jani. He loves her very much I can tell and he must be going crazy wondering what's happening. Can I trust you to just talk to him and not beat the living daylights out of him?"

Karan looked at Laurie deadpanned.

"How can you ask me not to do that? She is my baby sister! My one and only baby sister."

Karan's face softened as he looked at Purvi.

"She's been the missing piece of my life for so long. I've finally found her and now some zero hero is trying to take advantage of her feelings? I won't allow it! I'll make him suffer just as she's suffering!"

"I think he already is. You are very aware of that too Jani." Laurie touched Karan's face and held his eyes with her own. Karan visibly cooled but he stubbornly held on to his anger.

"Go find him and talk to him. We need to get to the bottom of this."

Karan sighed and looked at Purvi again. His baby sister was all grown up and... unconscious. That thought snapped him out of his reverie like cold water splashed on his face. He stood up and looked at Laurie.

"Will you..."

"As if you have to ask. Go and please, for her sake, don't kill him... at least until we find out what's going on."

Laurie gave Karan a small smile.

"I'm going to make a few calls and then I'm going to have a talk with Mr. Kirloskar"

'Please God. Don't let him hurt Arjun or else Purvi will kill him.' Laurie silently prayed as Karan strode out of the room with fierce determination.

Flat 304 - London - (Week 4) Sunday - 4:00 am. GMT

Arjun paced the foyer of his apartment like a caged animal. The two oversized G.I Joe dolls outside his door hadn't budged since he was escorted to apartment shortly after Karan disappeared with Purvi.

Arjun felt like he was being held captive until he was summoned. 'Who were these people?'

He was out of his mind with worry for Purvi. 'Where is she? Is she ok? What's going on? Why did she run from me like that? Why was Karan holding her like that? I'm going to kill him for touching her!'

Question after question raced through Arjun's mind and he didn't have the answers to any of them. He needed answers! Now! He punched the wall next to the door but didn't feel a thing. He was numb to the pain as his mind was only focused on Purvi.

A knock startled him out of his haze and he raced for the door. He swung it open to find a very angry Karan on his door step. Arjun held his own anger in check and stepped aside to allow Karan to enter his flat. No words were exchanged as the two eyed each other warily like prized fighters during a titled match.

Karan walked into Arjun's flat and turned around to face him when he was well across the foyer.

"Where is she?"

"What did you do to her?"

Both questions were fired off at the same time and both with enough venom to incapacitate an entire army of men.

Arjun clenched his fists as his anger started to rise. He took a step towards Karan but Karan held his ground.

Karan began again this time in a lower, commanding tone. "What did you do to her Arjun?"

Arjun was almost to Karan now. "I'm not answering anything until you tell me where she is and if she's ok."

"She fainted and I put her to bed."

Arjun saw red. 'He put her to bed?' Arjun released all his pent up anger and lunged at Karan with all his might. Karan expected this moved and quickly deflected Arjun's fist that was aiming for his face. He spun around as Arjun came at him again.

Remembering Laurie's words, Karan used his karate training to deflect most of Arjun's blows and tried not to hit him. Arjun ran at Karan and tackled him to the floor.

Karan's phone fell out of his pocket and it skidded towards the open door. The two threw random punches at each other - each trying to get the upper hand. Arjun got lucky for a minute and managed to land one solid punch on Karan's cheek splitting it slightly. Blood spurted everywhere.

"Aaahhh. My face!" Karan held his cheek.

The hot blood gushing down Karan's check brought Arjun quickly back to his senses.

'What did I just do?' Arjun staggered to his feet and beat a hasty retreat to his kitchen. He came back with a towel to help Karan stop the bleeding. Karan took the towel and pressed it to his face to quell the bleeding. 'Man, that's going to leave a mark'

Arjun offered Karan a hand to get up off the floor and Karan accepted it. Arjun pulled Karan up and walked him over to the sofa. The cabbage patch twins had watched all the action from the open door but never made a move to come in. 'They must have gotten orders to stay put' Arjun mused.

"You really have to work on that temper. I had no idea your fuse was so short."

"It's the shortest when it comes to my Purvi." Arjun leveled his gaze to Karan's "Now, where is she?"

Karan chuckled, "Well, if you think I'm going to tell you now then you have another thing coming. I wa.."

Arjun made another move to lunge at Karan again when Karan's phone rang from its place on the floor.

Karan looked over and Rocky stepped in to scoop up the cell phone before Arjun could get to it. He brought it over to Karan who still held the towel against his cheek. The call was from Laurie.

Karan frowned as he redialed Laurie's number.

"Hun, is everything ok? What's going on?"

"No. Everything is not ok." Laurie sounded worried and shaken. Karan knew she only sounded like that when things were serious. He stood straight up and let the towel he had been holding to his face drop on to the floor.

"You need to get up here right now. It's... it's Purvi. Something's happened."

"WHAT????" Karan roared into the phone. "I'm on my way."

Karan forgot all about Arjun. He was almost to the door when Arjun jumped in front of him blocking his path.

"What's happening? Is it Purvi? Please you have to let me go to her."

"I don't have time for this. Get out of my way Arjun."

"Wherever you go I'm coming with you."

Karan regarded Arjun for about thirty seconds and saw the worry, pain and fright in his eyes for Purvi.

"Whatever. Just stay out of my way." Karan pushed Arjun aside and almost ran out of Arjun's flat.

Determined not to be left behind, Arjun raced behind Karan up two flights of stairs to flat 502.

'What are we doing here?' Arjun questioned and then he briefly recalled the guard standing outside this door as he made his way up to the party earlier.

Karan rushed into the flat and up to the bedrooms on the second floor. He skidded to a halt and Arjun crashed into him from behind as they both tried to understand the scene before them. An I.V. drip was already attached to Purvi's arm and a doctor was about to inject the solution with a very large needle full of something.

Karan recognized the doctor as the man from flat 306. Laurie had told him a doctor resided in the building but until today he had never known who that person was.

"What's going on?" Karan and Arjun both asked at the same time.

Laurie glanced over at them. They were both covered in blood and Karan's face had a nasty cut on his cheek. 'They are big boys and can take care of themselves. I need to focus on Purvi right now'

The doctor looked over at them with a very solemn face. "It would appear as though Miss Deshmuk has been heavily drugged." Karan and Arjun's jaws dropped open in fear and shock.

"Come again please?" Arjun asked in utter consternation.

"She's been heavily drugged. I've seen a lot of these cases come through the emergency room. A larger dosage and it could have been lethal judging by the violent reaction she just had. I gave her a sedative to sleep it off and it should work its way out of her system by morning or afternoon. The I.V. is to help hydrate her while she sleeps."

The doctor turned to Laurie. "Keep a close eye on her and call me if there are any changes."

"Thank you doc... for everything." Laurie glanced at Karan. "Do you have time for a quick patch too?"

Karan grimaced as he touched his cheek and remembered the scuffle downstairs with Arjun. Both men looked down sheepishly at the floor.

The doctor gave a quick sharp laugh and gestured Karan down the stairs. Karan was reluctant to go but Laurie held his hand and led him down the stairs leaving Arjun alone with Purvi.

Arjun could hear Karan grumbling all the way down the stairs.

He slowly made his way to Purvi's bed side and pulled the chair close so he could sit beside the bed and not disturb her.

She looked so delicate and innocent and his heart broke seeing her in this state. She was freshly scrubbed and her hair was slightly damp. Her cheeks looked a little sallow but he guessed it was from whatever she was fighting in her system. She tossed and turned uneasily in her sleep.

Arjun had never experienced helpless fear until he saw Purvi laying in the bed with a tube running into her arm. He reached for her hand and spoke to her in a tone meant to soothe them both, "Purvi. Purvi, I'm here. Don't worry love, I'm here with you. Nothing will happen to you, do you hear me? You're going to be ok."

"A-Arjun?" Her voice was cracking as she struggled to open her eyes. She gave him a small smile and tried to sit up.

"I'm here Purvi. I'm right here. You just lay down and rest. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here with you." His voice cracked with emotion.

"Forever?" Her small, frail voice enquired as she went lax against the pillows.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Yes, forever. Now get some rest. You have to get better very quickly now. For me."

"Yes, always for you. Love you, my Arjun" Purvi murmured as she slipped into a deep slumber with that small smile still on her face.

Arjun's heart raced as her words sank in. "I love you too, my Purvi" he whispered as he held her hand like a life line.

No, he wasn't going anywhere. Not now, not ever. He was never letting her out of his sight again.

'Never!'