When Laboni finally brought those horrific chapters of her life to a close, her mind was far more exhausted than her body. After fighting with every ounce of her strength, she realized she desperately needed rest. She booked a room at the city's most secure and luxurious hotel, 'Luxvegas.' There, no one knew her; there, the shadows of Henry's past could not reach her.
Deep in Slumber
Entering the room, Laboni locked the door securely. The pristine white walls and soft bed seemed to beckon her. She drew the curtains tight so that even the morning light could not disturb her. Without a second thought, she collapsed onto the plush mattress. Months of sleepless nights, terror, and the fatigue of battle finally weighed down her eyelids.
Silence: There was no sound except the faint hum of the AC. The heavy thud of prison boots and the clanking of chains were far away.
Peace of Mind: Laboni finally felt safe. Her brother was safe. Her revenge was complete.
Dreamless Sleep: Within moments, she drifted into a deep sleep—not induced by drugs, but the hard-earned peace of a victorious warrior.
Beside the bed, her phone lay on silent. There were several messages from Rehan, asking if his sister was okay. But Laboni was beyond it all. She was sleeping a sleep without nightmares, carrying only the hope of a new dawn.
The Horrific Awakening
Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down Laboni's spine. It felt as if someone had violently shoved her back into reality. She bolted upright in bed, beads of cold sweat on her forehead.
A Terrifying Delusion
Laboni looked around, stunned. Where was the luxurious 'Luxvegas' hotel? Where was the joy of freedom? She saw that she was still lying on the grimy, white-sheeted bed of the prison hospital. The old ceiling fan above was rotating with a rhythmic, metallic creak.
Laboni's head spun. Was the last five months of freedom—Rehan's wedding, the little niece, the night-time battle—all just a vivid hallucination of her unconscious mind? Had she never actually left the hospital?
Henry's Presence
Just then, the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor echoed through the room. Laboni looked toward the window in terror. A figure sat there like a shadow in the darkness. As the dim light revealed his face, Laboni wanted to scream, but no sound escaped her throat.
It was Henry.
Henry held his inhaler. He took a long, steady breath and smiled at Laboni—that same demonic smile.
"You were having a beautiful dream, weren't you, Laboni?" Henry said in a chillingly calm voice. "It's natural to dream. When I injected you to paralyze you, the doctor said you might be in a state of hallucination for a few hours. You imagined yourself quite powerful in your dream, didn't you?"
The Harsh Reality
Laboni realized she was still a prisoner in the jail hospital following that fateful night. She had never escaped. Henry had recovered with his inhaler and returned to assert his dominance.
Henry leaned close. His hot breath brushed her cheek as he whispered, "Your dream is over, Laboni. From now on, this is your real world. This hospital, this prison, and me. There is no way out."
Laboni remained motionless as a stone. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She realized her greatest battle was only just beginning. If she wanted to make everything she had "achieved" in her dream a reality, she would have to start fighting all over again, right from this bed.
Smoke and Ashes
Henry leisurely pulled an expensive cigarette from his pocket. The flicker of his lighter momentarily illuminated his cruel features. He took a long drag and exhaled a cloud of smoke directly into Laboni's face.
The toxic smoke stung her eyes and throat, making her cough. She struggled to breathe, but Henry took a perverse pleasure in it. Behind the veil of smoke, his eyes glowed with malice. He flicked the ash onto the white sheets of her bed and said in a low voice:
"What's the matter, Doctor? You were showing such bravery in your dreams, but in reality, you can't even handle a little smoke? That fire, that pride—I will turn it all to dust, just like the ash of this cigarette."
He brought the glowing tip of the cigarette close to Laboni's hand. She could feel the intense heat and the pungent smell of burnt tobacco. Henry continued:
"You thought you could subdue me with an ampule of medicine? I am Henry, the Reaper of this prison. It took my doctors only a few hours to flush that drug from my system. Now tell me, to which hell should I send you and your brother?"
Despite the haze, Laboni met Henry's gaze. A deep hatred burned within her. Though she was weak and confined to the bed, Henry's arrogance gave her a realization: Henry thought he was invincible again. And that could be his fatal mistake.
"Smoke can blur the vision, Henry, but it cannot erase the truth," Laboni said, her voice strained. "You may keep me trapped here, but you cannot hide the fear inside you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to guard me in the middle of the night."
Henry crushed the cigarette butt onto the floor with his boot. He grabbed a fistful of Laboni's hair and yanked her closer.
The Tables Turn Again
As Henry pulled her closer, the smoky air threatened to choke her. He whispered into her ear, "Fear? You think I fear you? After what happens to you and your brother tonight, you will learn the true meaning of the word 'fear'."
Laboni closed her eyes in pain, but then she felt something. Henry still had his grip on her hair, but his other hand was clutching his chest tightly. His breathing was becoming heavy again.
A New Opportunity
Laboni noticed that the very cigarette Henry had smoked was becoming his undoing. His chronic asthma hadn't fully subsided, and the trapped smoke in the small room was triggering another attack.
Henry began to cough violently. His grip loosened. He stumbled away from Laboni, groping for the inhaler on the table. But in the darkness, he couldn't find it.
Laboni knew this was her chance. She bolted upright on the bed. Her hands shook, but her heart was on fire. She had already swiped the inhaler from the table, clutching it in her fist.
The Power Shift
Groping in the dark, Henry cried out, "The... the inhaler... give it to me, Laboni... I'm going to die..."
Laboni stood up from the bed. In her hand was the key to Henry's life. She held it up before his eyes but did not hand it over.
"This is reality, Henry," Laboni said calmly. "You were blowing smoke in my face, weren't you? Now look—that same smoke is leading you to your death. You wanted me under your feet, but now you are at mine, begging for a breath of air."
Henry sank to his knees. His face began to turn blue again. He reached out both hands, begging for the inhaler.
"You said there was no way out of here?" Laboni stepped back. "I'll show you a way. Call the guards right now and tell them to release Rehan. Otherwise, I will smash this inhaler into pieces right before your eyes."
Henry fumbled for his phone, his eyes rolling back. He realized that whether in a dream or reality, this woman was a living curse upon him.
The Brutal Reality
The inhaler was Henry's last hope. But as Laboni refused to give it to him, his helplessness transformed into a primal rage. He growled through gritted teeth, "You dare! You set conditions for me? I will bury you alive!"
Before Laboni could react, the heavy door was kicked open. Henry's personal bodyguard—a massive, merciless titan—burst into the room.
A Sudden Shift
At Henry's frantic signal, the bodyguard lunged at Laboni. She tried to hide the inhaler, but against his brute strength, she was powerless. He twisted her wrist so hard she screamed in pain. The inhaler flew from her hand and clattered onto the floor.
The guard retrieved it and handed it to Henry. Henry inhaled deeply, his face slowly returning to its normal color as his breath stabilized.
Henry's Cruel Vengeance
With his breath returned Henry's demonic resolve. He stood before Laboni, who was pinned by the bodyguard. He struck her across the face with such force that her lip split.
"You thought you could blackmail me with this plastic toy?" Henry roared. "You didn't know Henry always has a backup. My bodyguard was standing right outside."
He turned to the guard and commanded coldly, "Take her to the dark isolation cell immediately. Chain her legs. And bring her brother, Rehan, to her. Let her see exactly what price her cleverness costs him."
As she was dragged away, Laboni screamed, "Let Rehan go, Henry! He has done nothing! Kill me, but don't hurt him!"
Henry lit another cigarette. "The drama is over, Laboni. Now the real fun begins."
The Isolation Cell
The guard carried Laboni through the dark corridors. Her screams echoed off the walls. They finally reached the lowest level of the prison—a place where sunlight never reached and the air was stagnant. He threw her into a damp cell and chained her legs to a ring in the wall.
Rehan's Agony
Shortly after, Henry entered the cell, dragging a whip across the floor. The sound was like a herald of death. Behind him, two guards dragged in Rehan. Rehan's face was bloodied, his eyes swollen.
"Sister!" Rehan cried out. "Why are they doing this to you? Kill me, Henry, but let my sister go!"
Henry raised the whip and lashed Rehan across the back. The boy's scream tore through the silence of the prison.
"Stop!" Laboni shrieked. "Stop, Henry! Don't hit him! I give up! I'll do whatever you say, just please, let him go!"
Henry lifted Laboni's chin. "Anything? Then listen. Tomorrow morning, you will sign a confession stating that you and your brother were involved in drug trafficking. If you sign, I won't hit Rehan again tonight. If you don't..."
He raised the whip again.