Canvas of Destiny

Amy gathered all her painting tools and checked her outfit, making sure everything looks perfect. "Toast is ready," she reminded herself, taking a quick bite before heading out. "It's the big day, and it's my day," Amy whispered to herself.

Time is 8:45 am, and Amy had to be in the conference room by 9 am. With butterflies in her stomach, she set out for the conference, a mile away. Excited Amy finally reached the conference room just in time. The jury occupied the front three seats, with ten contestants in total anxiously waiting their turn. The conference area could hold approximately 1200 people, creating an electric atmosphere. Amy is the fifth contestant to submit her painting for the theme 'Love'. As the jury began to take each idea one by one, Amy's turn approached rapidly.

With a mix of nerves and anticipation, Amy presented her painting. The room held its breath for a moment before erupting into applause, recognizing her talent and creativity. Amy stood as the first winner, her heart pounding with joy as the audience rushed to meet and congratulate her. After a panel session with the jury that lasted about an hour, Amy called it a day, gathering her belongings and stepping out with pride, holding the first winner trophy and badge close to her heart.

With a mile to go until she reached home, Amy noticed a new café on the streets, named "Vasara". It had an aesthetic charm that drew her in immediately. Amy knew this place looked familiar. Entering the café, she found it crowded, with nearly 120 people bustling around. But despite the crowd, the café was spacious, with beautiful interiors and aesthetics that inspired her. Finding an empty table in the corner with a window view, Amy sat down and took in the scene outside as well as the ambiance of the café. Inspired by its beauty, she decided to start a painting of the café right then and there.

Amy called the waitress over and ordered a cappuccino, her eyes lingering on the painting equipment she had organized on the table—colors, painting board, and other stationary items. As she searched for inspiration to start her painting, "He walked in!!!".

He stood tall, his muscular frame filling out his clothes perfectly. His dusky skin tone seemed to shimmer like gold in the sunlight that streamed through the café's windows. His brown eyes gleamed like pools of melted chocolate in the sunlight, drawing her gaze irresistibly. Dressed in a black turtleneck tee that emphasized his broad shoulders and black pants, he exuded an aura of confidence. But it's the brown leather jacket he casually layered over his tee, that added an edge to his rugged charm. With a sleek black watch adorning his wrist, he looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine—a picture of timeless style and allure.

Unlike the café's aesthetic charm, he stood out in an unconventional way. He didn't need to blend; he was unapologetically attractive. As if, if weather increase by another 10 °F, he would serve as a perfect hot chocolate, admits Amy.

Their eyes met across the café, and Amy's heart skipped a beat.

Amy's attention immediately shifts to her painting equipment, feeling as though he can read her thoughts through her eyes. He takes a table opposite the entrance and near the counter, ordering "Hot chocolate." Amy smiles, sensing she already knows his order.

There are about six tables between them. Noticing his journal, Amy finds it interesting. He gets a call, writes something in it, then drops the call and picks up another one. Must be work, Amy thinks. She finds it utterly pleasant to watch him drop the call, sip the hot chocolate, and continue writing.

As Amy begins sketching him, her pencil moves swiftly, outlining his features with precision. A 6-year-old girl approaches him with a toy, and he effortlessly engages with her. Man! His smile is contagious. "Doing his detailing is tougher than winning first prize at the conference," Amy mutters to herself as she struggles to capture his charm on paper. He hands a chocolate to the little girl as she leaves for her mom, leaving Amy even more captivated by his Gentleness.

In anxiety, Amy drops off the ink bottle on the table and rushes to the tissue paper to clean the space. By the time she returns, H.e.'s G.o.n.e.

Amy's heart drops to her belly. With a heavy heart, she looks around, but there are no traces of him. She steps out of the café, hoping she would see him again. But he's nowhere to be found.

Amy is disappointed as she calls the waiter for the cappuccino bill, He hands it over. Amy checks her wallet for money. But then, the waiter hands her another paper, asking her to read.

Amy opens the paper, her heart racing as she reads the message:

"You looked damn good in the white dress with a toast mark :p".

You look like an angel in disguise. Your hair flows elegantly above your shoulders, cascading like a waterfall beyond your treasures, as if no wave in the ocean could ever surf a wave like your silks. I had never seen a girl like you before, Amy.

I swear, I knew, you would win the 'first prize.'

I took a seat in the 3rd row of the conference room, I was cheering you up on the art display, feeling like your biggest fan at a concert. If words could melt, I would've become a hot chocolate with your speech, Amy blushes reading it.

I was excited to meet you after the session. But I had to step away before the panel session started. A piece of my heart left me to support you in the panel discussion. I ran into an errand, but it took about an hour, felt like an eternity leaving you behind.

As I returned to the conference, nobody was in sight. I searched everywhere, but you were nowhere to be found. A hollow feeling settled in my chest as my heart dropped to my belly, my heart crippled for a minute.

I came out of the conference. On my way out, I noticed the new café that had recently opened. I knew only a sip of coffee could soothe my disappointment. Little did I expect to see you there, but to my surprise, there you were, right in front of me. Our eyes met, and a whirlwind of emotions flooded over me.

You looked like an angel. If you were an angel, painting would be your wizard.

You looked stunning! Again! Yet again!! I wanted to talk to you, to tell you everything I had put on paper. But your eyes mesmerized me, leaving me speechless, like a poet silenced by the beauty of a masterpiece, Amy takes the paper close to the heart, smiles, pauses a second and continuous reading.

You’ll see an appreciation note if you can walk through the main door.

As Amy walked through the main door, she discovered an appreciation note waiting just for her. Blushing furiously, she approached it, feeling her heart race with excitement. Across the streets, she saw him watching her with a tender smile. Her cheeks flushed even more as she realized he had been waiting for her.

They both ran towards each other, their hearts beating in sync as they finally met.

Lost in the moment, he spoke no words as mentioned on the paper, but his eyes conveyed all the love and admiration he felt for her.

With a tender smile, he swept her into his arms, twirling her around, grabbed by her waist gently before presenting her with a bouquet of daisies.

His voice, soft and warm like a summer breeze, filled her ears as he whispered, "Want to know why I missed meeting you at the conference? I wanted to meet you with daisies, just like your painting!"

Amy's eyes welled up with tears of joy as she gazed at her painting before —a couple holding daisies by a beautiful café. It was as if the canvas had come alive, the colors vibrant and the scene pulsating with love.

In that moment, she felt a deep connection to the painting, to the couple whose love story it portrayed. It was a moment she had longed for. And now, it was unfolding right before her eyes. It was as if he had stepped out of her painting and into her life, bringing with him a love that was as enchanting as the art that had brought them together.

Amy knew that this encounter was more than just a chance—it was destiny weaving its magic, bringing them together in a love story that transcended time and space. He gently wipes the tears off the Amy cheeks.

After gazing into each other's eyes for a moment. "Some eyes touch you more than hands ever could" ,he says softly. He took a step closer to her, gently tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "Your smile is contagious, Amy," he whispered.

A new beginning of forever flourished on canvas, they both admitted it with a warm embrace. ❤️