Library no, Shop yes

Taaliyah waited until it was 4 pm. Derek did not show. Since she had no phone with her she could not contact him either. She wondered if he forgot about it and then panicked imagining if he had got into troubles. She had no idea what to do. She walked around the library for some time and then walked out. Her father was outside waiting for her on sharp time she aksed him to pick her. Taaliyah looked back inside for one last time and left. Derek missed a great chance to meet her alone. Little did she know what was going on with him.

Her father took her to a nearby shopping mall since he goes around with daughter very little. Zahir wished to spend some quality time with Taaliyah. He parked the scooter and walked into the mall. He bought her a cup of sweet corn and they walked around. He then took her inside a dress shop. He decided gift his daughter. Taaliyah was excited. Zahir had never done it before and seeing him do it shocked her. But she decided to take a chance and pick few clothes. She walked around the spacious outlet that had varieties of modest wears. She moved forward and chose a top and at the same time some one grabbed it too. She looked at the person. She was shocked and dropped the hanger.

"Hey," he said and picked the cloth from the floor. When he saw her, he stood shocked like Taaliyah.

"What are you doing here?" she managed to ask.

"Did you take the that pink top?" a girl came asking him. Taaliyah's eyes moved to Min Ah. She took a step backward and looked for her father. Zahir was not anywhere around her walking on the other side of the outlet.

"Oh hi Taaliyah," Min Ah greeted her. "Want to be our third wheel?" she teased Taaliyah. Only then it occured to Derek how he was supposed to meet Taaliyah at the library. He realized he messed up but he had no regrets. He had no heart to turn a blind eyes towards Min Ah. At the same time he did not wish to explain it to Taaliyah either, trying to protect Min Ah. When Taaliyah got no responses from Derek, she walked away. But he stood there watching her. Min Ah hated it. But she did not react afraid of being alone.

"Come, help me choose a shirt," Min Ah said and dragged him.

Taaliyah chose several clothes and rushed to the dressing room to be alone for sometime and vent out her emotions. She waited outside for around ten minutes. And Min Ah walked in. But Taaliyah ignored her and walked into one vacant room the moment an old lady left the room. She locked the door and cried silently. Tears streamed down her face. To Taaliyah it took a great deal off efforts to step out of house getting permission from her father. And she did it to only see him and spend time with him. But apparently it looked like he had no such feelings towards her. She felt hurt and embarrassed to have done something like this and waited outside for two hours. She wiped her tears instantly and began to try the clothes. She tried a simple black chiffon gown and stepped out to show her father but the one who stood in front of her was Derek. He could tell the moment he looked at her eyes that she cried. His hands itched to hold her and console her. "You.. You look good in it," he said instead. Zahir walked and said the same comment to his daughter. "This is good, get this one," Derek was holding the phone up. Capturing her secretly. And he chose stay around there while waiting for Min Ah. Taaliyah tried several other dresses and chose three of them which Derek nodded his head to apart from her Father. Taaliyah ignored him and tried her best to not breakdown in front of him.

Zahir paid the bill and left with Taaliyah while Min Ah was still trying on the clothes. It was boring for Derek but surprised to see how quick Taaliyah was. He liked it.

Around 6. 30 pm Min Ah dropped Derek back home after getting burgers for both of them. He walked back home from the main road. His mother was waiting for him already.

"Why are you standing outside?" he asked Amy.

"Waiting for you of ocurse," Amy replied. "Why are you late?"

"The bus straight from library to our route comes at this hour," he replied and stepped into the house which smelled awful. "Maaa..." he screamed.

"Oh no," she said and walked back in. "I forgot to turn the stove off. My god, the dinner must be burnt," and as expected everything was burn. The rice and the vegetable fries. Derek did not feel happy about anything. He tried to do a good deed to a new friend and ended up hurting his only best friend.

"What else should I have done? Watch her get molested?" he talked to himself. "I know I did right, I cannot explain it, let her understand if she wants it. I cannot force her, but she does not get," he took the phone wen checked her account. He could not see her profile photo. He wondered what the reason could be. He typed a creepy mind of message to Taaliyah.

"What a loss? The world is about to end but you are not surprised about our meeting," he sent a stupid text. He waited patiently but got no reply. "Hey, why did you cry?" he asked without hesitation unaware how bad she would fail.

Taaliyah who read the messages deleted them immediately and kept ignoring. She had absolutely nothing to tell him. She kept the phone away and spent time with her mother showing her dress father bought her. Derek's heart was not at rest. He dialled a number. He wished to make sure things are okay.