The City of Dreams

Early morning, she takes her bike and starts on her daily cycle. At the fountain, birds are everywhere. One of them flies so high, she stops and watches it, wishing she could fly away with it and leave this material world. It reminds her of that conversation so many years before, on the other side of the world, back home.

The night was still young, so they were. It was early summer, back when she has just finished high school. She walks with him, she can never imagine her life without him, neither can he without her. A new milestone on its way, a time to decide on the future, a time to plan their lives, the unknown. They know only one thing, that they'll always be together. She looks up to the sky, spreads her arms and takes a deep breath. "I want to spread my wings and fly, I want to forever fly with you, with the sound of my symphony for you always playing", she says. "I want to own the whole world, and put it at your feet", he says. They walk together, dream together, not knowing that this is the last time they'll see each other.

Ten years pass... Him, a married man with two kids, living in a villa, in a country next door. Her, a single woman, still looking for a lost love, living in a studio, half way around the world. They both followed their dreams and those dreams lead them to separate ways. He followed his dreams of being a millionaire of having his own mansion. She followed her dreams of living in the city of arts, of being free, of being one of the most popular pianists in the world. Years passed, and both of them reached every single goal they've put for themselves. But never had they felt that they have reached their dreams, he doesn't feel rich enough, she doesn't feel free enough. Their lives lack so much, they lack happiness, they lack love, they lack consent.

Vienna.... Her, having a concert in Vienna Opera House. Him, having a business conference. It's a spring morning, she walks by the Danube, she looks across the street, and there he is, the very same person she knew years ago. Nothing about him has changed, except that the light in his face has dimmed. He's standing in front of a bank, he looks at her, she looks at him. They recognize each other from the very first look. Nothing about her has changed, except that now she looks like she had landed to the ground after years of dreaming of flying. 

They can't wait for the traffic lights to turn red. One minute feels like ten more years. Memories of all the times they have spent together run before their eyes. All the promises of never leaving each other no matter what, memories of that night when they've decided to go their separate ways. The light turns red, and both of them don't move, she waits for him to come to the Danube, he waits for her to come to the bank, but none of them move. A few seconds before the lights change, they decide to meet half way. They start to move forward, but it's too late. Before they reach each other, cars start to move and block the way between them. They never meet....