Chapter 18 - The Priest

The bold yellowish and red colour of the sky was marking the beginning of the nightfall when Vihaan reached his home. Parking his Black Porsche Panamera in the garage, he glanced at his Watch to notice it showing quarter past seven.

Placing his phone in the front side pocket, he moved inside to reach the hall bathing in luxuries. The wooden floor of the hall was smoothy, the ceiling was reaching the sky and the chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall was cheery on the cake. The central wall was covered by six glass windows covered with grey curtains. The top of the right and the left wall was personified by the paintings describing the various phases of nature, with the right wall covered by two glasses window with grey curtains at the end, big square-shaped mirror with a classic wooden shelf supported with the stand below it in the centre of the wall and the right end of the wall displaying numbers of trophies placed in the showcase.

The end of the left wall was occupied by two glasses windows to the right of which a white wooden door with the grey curtain was closed. To the immediate right of the door, the replicate of the door but with the height reaching the bottom of the painting was giving way to another path in the mansion and the middle of the hall was occupied by the U-shaped grey fifteen seater sofa with the fabric of velvet, occupied by the members of the house and Shanaya.

Senior Rathores were seated on one side of the sofa, to the adjacent right of which Avni and shanaya was seated leaving one seat between them. Leaving four seats between him and Avni, Saarnash was seated with Vansh on the other side of the sofa.

"Oh, you have arrived" Vihaan was greeted by Shiv in response to which he nodded and sat down with his left leg crossed over to the right leg, to the right of Vansh leaving one seat.. Drinking the water the helper of the Mansion gave to him, he spoke: " What was the issue?".

"Anubhav is coming with his parents."

Frowning, Vihaan glanced at Avni for a second before directing his gaze to his uncle Shiv and spoke:" Something important?"

"Yes, I called our family priest to check for an auspicious date for Avni's wedding, so I thought of asking Anubhav's parents to come so that they can decide which date to choose," informing Vihaan, Shiv checked his watch and continued "They must be here anytime soon."

Shiv had bȧrėly said these words when they saw Anubhav and his parents coming inside the hall with the helpers.

They all stood to welcome them and Shiv moved forward with a genuine smile and shaking hands with Anubhav's father a man in '50s, motioned them to have a seat. Anyone could tell Anubhav had taken his looks from his father, Mr Oberoi, with the same amber eyes, same oval face shape and the same height of 5"11". Mrs Oberoi was a cute and charming lady with a small height of 5"3", but her smile was enchanting. She hugged Avni, who had come near her to take blessing from her and kissing on her forehead spoke " Just a few days and you will be my daughter".

Avni smiled shyly and stealing glances with Anubhav sat down once all were seated. Mr & Mrs Oberoi had occupied the seats to the left of Vihaan, which were once occupied by Vansh and Saaransh. Vansh and Saaransh sat to the left of them, leaving a seat between them.

Anubhav was about to sit besides Saaransh when Shana stood up and coming closer to him, whispered, teasingly" Your place is besides Avni dee" and motioned him closer to Avni.

Glancing at everyone who had no idea what was going, Anubhav replied, with his then turned red cheeks " I am fine, here".

"Come on, jeez! Do not act shy when your inner shelf is dying to be with dee" forcing him toward Avni with his upper arm clenched with her arms lightly, Shana exchanged her place with him and moved to his right leaving a seat to settle besides Saaransh.

Vihaan did not hear what seniors were discussing with each other while waiting for their family priest, for, his eyes were solely focused on the little distance between Saarnash and Shana. Without his knowledge, his fingers had formed a fist when Shana's face inched toward Saaransh and their knees came in contact.

"Why do I care?" speaking to himself, Vihaan turned his attention, only to saw his mother Mrs Chaya Rathore looking at him in a very odd way. Immediately, he glanced at his watch, pretending to be busy watching the time and roam his eyes, here and there. Moving his right hand in his hair, on his neck, he steals glances toward her mother to saw her smiling mildly at him.

Knowing what she was thinking, he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw their family priest entering in the hall and everyone stood up in respect. Draped in a single piece of two-metre saffron cotton clothe, his face was shining with the glow and his frontal was marked with vermilion in a horizontal line.

"He must be around ninety, isn't it?" whispering to Saaransh, Shana wondered.

"I wonder" with his eyes fixed on the priest sitting on the wooden bench in the middle of the room, Saaransh tried to guess his exact age.

Listening to their conversation, Vansh breaks his silence to quench their curiosity" He will be celebrating his hundredth birthday this year".

"What????"

"Are you fuċkɨnġ serious?"

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