The Boss, his fist cocked back, was a split second from unleashing his fury on Arun. But just then, a prison guard materialized in the doorway, his face grim. "Break it up!" he barked. He grabbed the Boss by the arm and dragged him away, leaving Arun trembling in the sudden silence.
Arun, his body still stinging from the scalding food and Karim's blow, gently lifted his unconscious friend and carried him to the infirmary. He then stumbled into the adjacent bathroom, the need to vent his raw emotions overwhelming him.
"What is wrong with you?" he screamed at the voice, his words echoing off the tiled walls. "You made me kill my parents! I haven't even begun to heal from that, and now this? You're a monster!"
He slammed his fist against the mirror, the shattering glass slicing into his skin. Blood mingled with tears as he slid to the floor, his body wracked with sobs.
He drifted into a restless sleep, a dream of happier times flashing before his eyes. He was in Greenland, a place he had always longed to visit, laughing and playing with his parents. They were riding a dog sled, the wind whipping through their hair, the snow sparkling beneath the Arctic sun. He could almost taste the delicious Greenlandic lamb stew his mother had made...
"Arun? Are you alright?"
A gentle voice broke through the dream, pulling him back to the harsh reality of the prison infirmary. He opened his eyes to see a young nurse gazing down at him, her face etched with concern.
He was struck by her beauty. Her warm brown eyes held a kindness that he hadn't seen in a long time, and her smile was like a ray of sunshine in the dreary room.
"I... I'm fine," he stammered, his cheeks flushing. "How old are you, miss?"
"I'm 27," she replied, her smile widening.
"Oh," he said, a little embarrassed. "You're ten years older than me. What's your name?"
"Neha," she said. "But you can call me sister."
"No way," he blurted out. "It's too beautiful a name to waste on 'sister'."
A chuckle came from the bed behind him. "Beautiful, huh?" Karim teased.
Arun turned to see his friend awake, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You're awake!" he exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now that I've seen you drooling over the nurse," Karim joked.
Arun blushed. "I wasn't drooling!" he protested, then his expression turned serious. "Karim, I'm so sorry about what happened in the kitchen. The voice..." He explained everything, the choices, the fear, the loss of control.
Karim listened patiently, then clapped Arun on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, little brother. Next time, choose a different option. I'll be there to help you. I promise."
"Thank you," Arun said, his voice filled with gratitude. "I trust you."
Meanwhile, back in their cell, the Boss and Jacky received a visitor. A guard, his face impassive, slipped a knife into the Boss's hand.
"The time has come, Jacky," the Boss said, his eyes gleaming with malice. "The great return. I will rule this prison once again."
"Yes, Boss," Jacky replied, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "We'll do it together."
The air crackled with tension. A storm was brewing in the prison, and Arun, caught in its path, was about to face his greatest challenge yet.