Entwined

Chapter 19

Taylor dropped into the table at the diner. His right hand was still in a sling. Sanvika looked at him. There was rebellious courage on his face.

"How did you manage to vandalise the car with your hand still like that?" Sanvika asked. She was trying to act superior like her mother would have done. She still felt incredibly sorry for Taylor and guilty. But she tried not to show it.

"I had some help," He said.

"Sophie?"

"I have other friends besides Sophie."

"Hm. But it is just a car. You achieved nothing by spray painting on my car. I can just re-paint it. Change the windshield."

"Yes. I figured that." He said in mockery. "Even if I vandalise multiple times, you can just replace the glass, just re-paint it... Even get a new car. Since money is not an issue, right? Since you guys have got a hell lot of it."

"Listen, Taylor..." Sanvika tried to speak.

"You even managed to bribe my real father..." He said, "I am in awe. How did you even find him? He is in prison."Sanvika did not know about this piece of information. She knew that her mother was tying up the loose ends for the case. But she had no idea that Taylor's biological father will be bribed. "I went to him. He won't sign for the lawsuit. And what lawsuit," He guffawed. "Even the security camera footage has all disappeared."

"Money must be such a good thing," He continued in sarcasm. "Can easily close mouths and magically make pieces of evidence disappear."

Sanvika felt ashamed and bad. But she had to fight for herself. "Listen, it was an accident. I did not mean to hit you... You came out of nowhere and.... I am sorry."

"Well, your apology does not give me back my shoulder and arm, right?" There were traces of tears in his eyes.

"Taylor," She felt really bad for him. Genuinely bad.

"No, you listen. Ms Singhnia," He snapped, "You listen... I really really love lacrosse, okay? It's not just a spot for me. It is not just my ticket to college. I did not start playing lacrosse to get my extracurricular activities scores up; or to get a sports quota admission. I started it because I really loved the game. I loved playing it. It was the only time when I felt like I had power." His brown eyes twinkled when he talked about lacrosse. "The only time I could breathe freely." He whispered. "You took that away from me. You can say that it was an accident – you did not mean to. But the truth is that you took what is most important in my life from me. You may think that it is fine as long as I am alive and did not sustain any serious damage. But no... You killed me that night in the road, Ms Singhania. You took my life, my future, my entire hope from me."

Sanvika's eyes filled with tears. She did not want to be the cause of so much pain for someone. But she was, and she could not deal with it.

"Why are you crying?" Taylor's tone shifted to confused and troubled.

"What am I supposed to do Taylor?" She looked up at him. "What should I do to compensate for what I did? How can I make your life better?"

Taylor's expression softened and he sat back. "Ms Singhania..."

"Sanvika is fine," she said.

"San-vi-ka," he had a difficult time pronouncing her name. Then he shortened it, "San. Is San fine?" Sanvika nodded. "Okay, so, San... There is no way you can bring back my hand or Lacrosse." He sat back. "But I really want to go to college. That is out of the picture now."