Chapter 9

Carissa was relaxing and enjoying her time while promoting her clothing line at the Hawaii convention. Her new swimsuit line was based on a tropical theme so what better place to show it off. She had combined both business and pleasure on a single trip. Magazines praised her to be the most eligible bachelorette around. Anyone who looks at her would first give credit to the Botox and then think again above all the age deifying products that are available in the market, then the makeup artist. But once they get closer to her, they would probably blame it on God for being so impartial to all others in the World. It was very hard for anyone to tell her age by looking at her as she still looked like a model in her mid-twenties. But everyone would be puzzled when they look at her daughter. Carissa tried her best in so many possible ways to keep it a secret that her daughter was adopted. She meant everything to her and it was quiet apparent to everyone. As her daughter Hasnaa, meaning breathtakingly beautiful, which, was a slightly modified name from the African Swahili tribe did justice to her name. Carissa often talked about a woman she met when she was in Africa whom she named her daughter after. But she chose to call her Angela which was her nickname and which she often told her was also her grandmother’s name.

Hasnaa had accompanied her mother on this trip to Hawaii and was enjoying herself. She was hardly a teenager but with her height and from the influence of her mother she could fit right in with the teen models even though she still had some baby fat on her cheeks. But Carissa kept her away from all of this and insisted on her being a normal child. Carissa’s new assistant Mark was more than her assistant in the public eye. He was handsome, well built and had a sparkling smile and accompanied her everywhere including the red carpet and was often her escort and her date for events. If anyone who knew her well, would know that there was nothing going on between the two of them. But if they had know her for a really long time and was her confidence, would also notice a striking resemblance between Mark and Akshar, wondering if she was keeping him around to remember him. After Akshar married, Carissa had kept her contact with him to a very minimal to avoid unnecessary complications even though Akshar had insisted that it would not be a problem. Unable to convince her Akshar had agreed to it which had made both his wife and Carissa happy. Carissa had made Akshar and Diya, Hasnaa’s legal guardians, Akshar being the primary decision make in the even if anything ever happened to her. Akshar had been more than satisfied to still be a part of her life.