It was a chaotic scene as traffic came to a halt and people around ran to the crashed car to assist in rescuing the occupants.
The car was not far away from where Sachin had managed to bring the Lexus to a halt. She had grabbed onto him, trembling badly and he was not sure he could put his arms around her but it was the best thing to do in the circumstance.

The police and fire service arrived in no time at the horrific accident scene. The ambulance arrived just in time as the car’s three occupants were removed; one dead and two badly injured. Sachin, a little shaken himself, called her father to relate what happened.

“How is my daughter?” he asked.
“She’s badly shaken. Can you send someone to take her home? I have to wait to give a statement to the police.”
“I am coming there myself,” the father said with deep concern; “Do not leave her side.”
“Yes sir.”

He made to step out of the car as the police approached to question him and she grabbed his arm, “No, don’t leave.”
“I’m not leaving,” he assured her, “But I have to talk to the police; try to relax a little. Your father is on his way.”
She nodded, taking a few deep breaths as he spoke to the police whilst they examined the damages to the car. Mr. Singh arrived in no time and in the comfort of her father’s arms she managed to calm down. At the police station, after Sachin had given his statement that witnesses corroborated, he was not found culpable for the accident.
“Thank you, officer,” Mr. Singh said.

And as they were about to exit the station, the officer asked in a curious tone, “How long has this young man been driving for you, Sir?”
“About four months.”
“Well, you should hold onto him,” the officer advised, “Because if he hadn’t managed to bring that car under control, the situation would have been bad.”
Mr. Singh looked at Sachin, deep gratitude in his eyes.
Sachin reached home later than usual and his worried mother and elder sister hugged him with deep relief. They had seen the accident on the news.
“I did good today, Ma,” he said a bit emotional.

“May God always bless you and keep you safe, my son.”
When Sachin reported to work the next day, Mr. Singh called him into his office and handed him an envelope.
“For saving my daughter from what could have been a terrible accident.”
“Wow!” Sachin expressed silently when he opened the envelope and he saw the amount of money. “Thank you, Sir.”
“My children,” Mr. Singh stated, “Are my whole world, especially my little girl.”

Sachin understood how good and loving a father can be, his strong arms forming a protective shield and he inhaled deeply, a glint of sadness in his eyes.
“I wish you were here today, Pa.”
There were times when the ache of losing his father would overwhelm his mind, but he had managed to overcome the pain and feel calm as the years went by. That he did as he collected the keys to the BMW because the Lexus was at the body shop. He sighed with a sense of satisfaction that after traversing the rough paths in life, he was driving his dream cars today, even though just as a driver.

He stood by to begin working but she did not go anywhere for the week. So he drove instead Mrs. Singh and other family members, interchanging between the BMW and Range Rover.
The Jaguar belonged to the son overseas on business and no one, Paul told him, was allowed to touch his car.
“Rightly so,” Sachin stated, “She’s such a beauty.”

That weekend he was not required to work and spent quality time with his mother and sisters. He continued the remodelling work on the vegetable garden he had started some time ago and made a note of what little repair work needed to be done on the house.
It was a small and neat house with a refreshing homely comfort he loved.
“I’m the king of my castle,” he said with conviction as he swung the axe down with a smooth motion on the wood for the fireside.
“And one day, I’ll find my queen.”

Her image flashed before his eyes and splashing water on his face and muscled upper body, he shook his head.
“I’m a poor guy, so she can only be a dream.”
But it’s amazing sometimes how love can find a way to change the dynamics of one’s life.
That Monday morning as Sachin stood by to start the day’s work, he felt a new little happy feeling in his heart, something he couldn’t understand.
“I wonder…,” but the thought was interrupted when she came out looking quite refreshing and lovely in a floral summer dress. He took a deep breath but did not let his eyes linger as he opened the door for her. She paused and looked at him with a little smile, “Thank you for averting that accident.”
He nodded, not smiling because he still had to follow rules.

As he turned onto the highway, she told him pleasantly where she wanted to go.
“Yes, Miss.”
“Ahana,” she told him, “That’s my name.”
He nodded, saying nothing and at the end of the day, as he helped her with her bags to the door, she said to him, “You don’t talk much.”
“In my job, I was told I’m not supposed to.”
“Well, when I talk to you from now on, I would like to hear a response.”
“Yes, Miss.”

As he left for home that afternoon, Sachin thought, “That’s quite a change.”
He liked it but couldn’t be sure how long her pleasant attitude would last so he stayed cool within the limits of an employee. Her father was still grateful to him and had him once drive him and a friend to Crabwood Creek in Corentyne for a friend’s birthday bash.
Things were getting better for Sachin on the job but the one thing that gave him a good feeling was the little things she would say to him sometimes.
“Did you get taller?”

“Nice hair cut.”
He still had challenges to face though with her rude, entitled friends, especially her boyfriend, Chris. He was wealthy, confident and with refined good looks but his arrogant personality was unbearable. And for some reason or the other, he did not like Sachin, who, because of his job as Ahana’s driver, became a target for him.
But all that came to an end one Sunday when Ahana was at an outing at a creek up the highway with friends. Sachin was by the car alerted as usual to everything around them. It was getting late in the afternoon, most people at the creek having left when a black Toyota pulled up with three guys, heavily tattooed and caps pulled low over their heads. They sat drinking beers, casting quick glances at Ahana’s friends.

Sachin sensed something wasn’t right and called Ahana aside, telling her quietly, “I think everyone should leave.”
“Why?”
He indicated slightly with his head to the three men by the Toyota but before she could say anything, Chris came up to them and pushed Sachin, “Tired of seeing you around, loser.”
“Stop that,” Ahana admonished him, “We have to leave.”
“No, we’re not!”

He grabbed her arm and Sachin noticing the men approaching, one with a gun in his hand, pulled Ahana from Chris and pushed her to the ground behind a car, covering her body with his as the men shouted,
“No one moves!”
To be continued…