This story is about Emma, an artist who sketches daily at a cafe, and Steve, a man who drives by each day. They see each other but don't speak until one day when Steve is unable to get change from a newspaper vendor. He sees Emma offering change inside the cafe. They finally speak, realizing their connection after seeing each other from afar. The story suggests they will live happily ever after.

1. Love – as it is to Me!
-Chi

2. Love exists in this world with so many definitions. It means so much too so many people and yet its
appearance differs in each eye. This is my effort to write my very first romantic story. Before you get
loose into my world of love I want to confess something. You will read a story from a heart for whom
love’s definition is and always be a mother’s humble kiss.
Guys, welcome to my world of Love!!!

3. Snow felt that day like no other. Most of the people recited into the safety of their homes making the
streets of the world’s most famous city look haunted. But fate is a player always in action. Today as well
it had its playground all set, not to continue an old game, but to start a new one with new players.
Whichever game fate plays in, it always plays its cards cautiously making it always the ultimate winner.
May be also to the fact that he is the one that always plays first.
The signal around block9 at the Political Street turned red, commanding the vehicles to stop and the
command was followed. Bunch of people hurried to cross over from both sides. Among them was a
blonde girl in her mid twenties that hurried along with them. Formally dressed and carried a side bag
which seems to be too heavy to carry. Now that’s an old game that fate has already won against the
humans, where the loser will carry a self interest view for the entire lifetime, ignoring everything that
lies outside it. And fate has always been there to see that this is a promise that the humans can never
forget. Ignoring everything that lies beyond self interest. It was due to this very fact that the blonde girl
and the heavy bag were ignored by everyone around. To introduce her she is just a girl next door that
blends along with the crowd. She was named Emma.
Emma rushed along with others to cross the lane and approached a coffee shop. It was much of the
smaller outlets selling authentic coffee and beverages and not like the other one whose taste may never
change ever making people more addictive towards it rather than attracting through delicacy. The
coffee shop offered a couple tables outside on the street always and Emma choose the one outside. The
owner of the shop, probably in mid forties moved outside the shop to welcome the new customer with
a gentle smile.
“What’s today’s special Bernard?” Emma asked the approaching man.
“We got pumpkin muffins today!” he said with excitement.
“I’d like two.” she answered.
Emma was kind of a regular to the shop. Her office was just a couple of blocks away and having
‘Canadian Bernard’s’ everyday specials was kind of her regular routine.
Bernard soon returned with two pumpkin muffins and a regular size cup of milked tea.
“So, what’s on your list today?” he asked placing the plates on the table.
“Nothing new just trying to finish up the old one” she said.
Emma though was a financial advisor by job; she had an artistic side as well. She was a sketcher; she
would sketch drawings mainly in her leisure time from office. But as the firm grew so as her leisure time
dwarfed. The only leisure time she would manage to pull was during her breakfast at Bernard’s Café,
where she would sketch anything that would amuse her. Her top of list included political street’s block
9, an old lady selling artificial jewellary across the street, Bernard’s portrait with his wife and many
more. But recently there was a small addition to her list, it was something that block9 didn’t offered her
regularly.
Taking a sip of the hot tea she removed an A4 size paper from her bag along with a set of pencils. The
sheet had an incomplete sketch. It showed the magazine stall at the corner of the block along with the

4. signal and with it was the sketch of Mercedes-Benz parked along the side. In this entirely perfect sketch
the only incomplete thing was the man’s sketch. The image showed a vendor offering a newspaper to
someone; well that someone was missing in the picture.
She looked at the actual image around that depicted the magazine stall with the vendor, block9 and the
signal, but it showed no sign of the Mercedes-Benz or the person. She stole a quiet moment to check
her watch and sighed internally. She kept the sketch aside and started having her breakfast. The
pumpkin muffins seemed to be really delicious because she ordered a more couple of them or may be
that was just to buy some more time waiting for the stranger. She finished a couple more but the
stranger did not appear. She quickly finished her milked tea by taking a last sip and she really needed to
hurry after this as she had the regular morning meeting to attend.
She kept the cup down and started packing things again when the real life image around changed. A
Mercedes-Benz hurried over the signal and parked exactly opposite of the nearby magazine vendor. And
there it was a complete picture; a young man arrived from the car. And time stood still for Emma. He
was in his mid twenties as well. Dressed in jeans and t-shirt with an overcoat to avoid Christmas winter.
He paid to the vendor who returned a newspaper in return. Emma sat there still taking as much as she
can of the image. But the grandfather clocked inside the coffee shop chimed loudly bringing Emma back.
It was already 10; she packed her things quickly, placed the money below the plate and ran opposite to
the magazine stall avoiding people on the street. But while she hurried through the street a gentle smile
crossed her face as if making her day complete. On the opposite side the young man took the
newspaper and saw through the corner of his eyes. He noticed the girl rushing in the opposite direction
and smiled crossed his face too with a sigh of relief.
Inside the coffee shop Bernard was smiling too. Among all the people at block9 it was only Bernard that
witnessed this routine every day. Each day since two months this routine was followed. Emma wasn’t
there waiting till 10 just to gulp in more muffins, but she waited eagerly each day to see that gentle man
arrived at the stall. To introduce him, he was called Steve. One of the most eligible bachelor in the city,
known widely by name and never by face. He has his office a block away with a magazine stall at its
corner but he instead choose everyday to drive a block to buy the day’s newspaper. There was nothing
special about the vendor but block9 offered him what he was dreaming off since long. Two months ago
Steve accidentally choose a longer route to reach office in order to avoid the heavy traffic that day and
happened to see the vendor at the corner. Something in him urged to buy the newspaper from the
vendor at block9 rather than the usual one. He parked his Mercedes around the corner, got down
bought the paper and turned around to get into the car when he heard something unusual among the
chaos. A girl’s laughter that somewhere echoed in the middle of the no where. He looked up straight
ahead and saw Emma laughing her heart out over a conversation with Bernard and his wife. She was in
between completing their portrait. A gentle smile aroused on Steve’s face. She was just like another girl
around his luxurious life but there still was something that was different. Her eyes said it all. It depicted
clear honesty and love that extended towards every person. The essence of happiness within and the
willingness to share with anyone that met her.
Ever wondered how that happens, well I think that’s what it is all about, knowing in the exact moment.
While Steve did stare at the amazing girl, Emma was lost in her innocent laughter. He still kept staring
for a minute or two and that’s when Emma realized the two staring eyes. She turned around to see who
was there and that’s when Emma realized the staring eyes. She turned around to see who was there and
that’s when the eyes met or the souls. Emma’s laughter turned into a gentle smile and Steve’s grin grew

5. broader. Just a split of second and Emma was pulled back to the conversation by Bernard’s wife. Steve
too quickly drew away. But as if somewhere beyond time and space the split second lasted forever.
The very next day Steve yet again took the longer route and found himself face to face with his dream.
Emma was there as usual sketching block9 this time. He didn’t found laughter but a calm face. A face
that somehow read the universe around, a soul that would talk to the unknown. Accidentally Emma saw
up and found the eyes again but there were no more staring, in fact there were not even directed
towards her. But the eyes depicted something else, they talked a language that was never known to
Emma, they preached the happiness of been known by someone. Steve yet again took a longer route
and found the dream exactly where he left yesterday. Emma again scanned block9 and found a piece of
her that was with someone else.
The routine continued and is still being followed. Each day morning two souls complete to be one and
yet unaware. Bernard from inside the coffee shop smiled and wished or rather prayed the souls should
meet once and for all never to be separated ever.
So far, so good but fate is a player that have mastered this game of life, a split of second and its strategy
changes making its competitors helpless.
The picture of block9 changed too. Bernard came out from his shop carrying pineapple muffins this time
along with milked tea. But the face that greeted him seemed more worried than excited. Emma sat
there at Bernard’s coffee shop with a sketch in hand. The uncompleted sketch was now complete, the
sketch now showed Steve right in between accepting the newspaper from the vendor. Bernard placed
the plates on the table and went inside without a word. It has passed over couple of days now but Steve
didn’t showed up at block9. By each passing day Emma’s restlessness was increasing. At one moment
her heart would assure that everything was okay and that the stranger would be in the picture anytime
and at another moment her mind reminded her that how great illusionist the world is. And that nothing
existed in those eyes and that Emma imagined it all on her own. But this was something that her heart
would never get convinced upon. A few more days passed without Steve in the picture and her mind
started taking more on her heart. The morning breakfasts at Canadian Bernard’s Café become shorter.
There was no more A4 size paper, pencils accompanied to the breakfast.
But just when everything starts collapsing at the foot of fate, Love a greater player than fate comes to
rescue and the cards change again.
The signal at block9, political street turned red commanding the vehicles to stop and a bunch of people
crossed over. A Mercedes-Benz hurried over the signal and parked exactly opposite the nearby
magazine vendor. Steve hurried from the car and started screening block9. Canadian Bernard’s Café was
closed but the grandfather clock inside chimed eight times in a row. The magazine vendor was closed
too and street lights glowing in full power showed every few people wondering around. Steve screened
around somewhere knowing at the back of the mind that he won’t find what he was looking for but his
heart couldn’t listen and continued searching in the darkness.
It has been entire a week since Steve left the town for some official work. Nothing, he couldn’t find what
he was searching for. He stood there in silence and looked over block9. The Christmas lights glowed the
entire block and yet it couldn’t offer Steve the happiness that he used to find once. At last he returned,
empty handed something that block9 never did before. Other day aroused and Steve found himself
again in block9 looking for something that has been lost.

6. It was 9 past 40 in the grandfather clock at Bernard’s café when Steve drew in. He followed his routine,
bought the newspaper from the vendor, he could feel his heart beating faster, he turned around
expecting to meet those calm eyes but instead met with empty street that didn’t carried the happiness
that was once his very own. Steve still carried out the routine each day in all hope. Almost a week
passed by but Steve was not able to find what he has lost. His mind started playing games too but his
heart was as determined as ever and something inside him told him that what he is finding desperately
has never left him.
It was 9 pass 45 at Bernard’s grandfather clock and Steve found himself yet again after a week at block9
searching for his part of soul. But yet again political street obliged to change. He took a deep breath
consoling himself once again that his lost part was more closer to him than he could imagine. He turned
over to the magazine vendor who greeted with a smile. Steve tried to smiling back. The vendor offered
him the day’s newspaper and Steve in return handed him a dollar note.
“Sorry Sir, but I don’t have change!” the vendor exclaimed.
Steve rechecked his pocket and found nothing either.
“Let me get some.” the vendor said and hurried across to the nearby shop.
Steve yet couldn’t agree to the fact that he had lost something that was so close to him. He kept staring
at block9 and listened to his heart saying, “She is closer than you can imagine”.
Some time passed and Steve suddenly realized that he had been accompanied. Numbers of other
customers gather around the stall and the vendor was still nowhere in the picture. Steve turned around
and saw the vendor entering ‘Canadian Bernard’s Cafe’. The number of customers was increasing so
Steve decided to get the change on his own. He moved towards the café and peeped through the glass
window to find the vendor asking Bernard for the change. Bernard shook his head indicating that he
didn’t have the change either. But he did pointed to someone seating in the café. The vendor turned
around to ask the customer for the change. She was a blonde girl in her mid twenties with a side bag
placed aside. She was busy scribbling something on the A4 size paper that seemed much like strokes.
Her face was claim; a face that read the universe around, it reflected back a soul that would talk to the
unknown.
“Maam, do you have change for a dollar?” the vendor asked approaching the girl.
She nodded and started searching for purse in her side bag that was placed on a nearby chair.
“Sir!!! I found it!” the vendor shouted out loud when he saw Steve’s staring eyes through glass.
But Steve’s eyes weren’t waiting for the change. It was locked somewhere else. They just found what
was lost. And Steve’s heart proclaimed yet again, “It was more closer than you had imagined!”
The vendor moved out to inform Steve that he got the change and that was when he saw bunch of
customers around his stall.
“Can you collect the change, Sir?” he asked Steve.

7. But Steve was lost somewhere beyond time and space.
“Sir!!!” he proclaimed.
“Oh, yes, I will” Steve answered realizing the question.
The vendor walked away to his stall to attend the customers.
Steve stood there for a minute, eyeing the girl who was dug deep inside the purse for the change. Slowly
he moved in the café and stood in front of her.
Emma was lost in her own innocence. She removed that change from her purse, counted twice and
looked up to offer the change to the man standing in front for her. It was then she realized that the
picture around her has changed yet again. She was facing her dream. Her hand continued to float in the
air holding the change and the two eyes continued to stare others.
“Hello!” he said with a gentle smile.
“Hello!!” she returned with a relieving smile.
So the story ends here. At last love wined the gamed. Then what about fate, well…., it wined too. Love
and fate both great masters played on the same side and fought against all the odds to win.
But what happened to Steve and Emma, well, their future was written on the last card that fate beheld.
And guess what he did use it at the end.
The card read, “They lived together, happily ever after!!!”