Sheela's story
Part 1 - Seduction by stealth
The message was short & sweet. It just contained one word - "Noted". He shut his private phone, an instrument with no internet & used only to call one person. It was never far from him, but also sparingly used, as & when an opportunity arose.
Sriram smiled with smug self-satisfaction. It had been a long journey; but he had enjoyed every single step. Even now he could vividly recall and fondly remember ever single moment. A carefully crafted and cunning plan; executed with patience & persistence had achieved the objective. He was now a proud man who had as his Mistress a breathtaking beauty who was over forty years younger than him. He chucked at the nomenclature - "Mistress!"; for in reality, HE was the master. He had as his very willing & obedient lover a girl many young men would be ready to die for.
Sriram was a short stocky man, barely 5 feet in height. He was never athletic nor known for his physical prowess since his youth. As a student, he was always mediocre and never aimed nor attained academic excellence. With his dark complexion, and unattractive attributes; he was largely a fringe figure throughout his early years. Largely ignored by the opposite sex, he nonetheless possessed a strong personality; which only those close to him would know. He lacked height and rarely stood out in a crowd and was obsequious in a gathering. All his shortcomings in height and other physical & mental faculties were more than compensated by native shrewdness & business acumen. Sriram had learnt & perfected to an art the advantage of appearing stupid, inconsequential & a nonentity. Over the years, he had skillfully amassed a large fortune, which very few people knew about. He preferred to operate behind the scenes, using two layers of intermediaries and managed a vast financial empire. Most people he interacted with were unaware about the influence & strings Sriram could pull. He chose to remain a mediocre man who was self sufficient in resources.
Smoldering beneath the surface was a man of intense sexual appetite. Nature had short changed him in most matters. However, he was blessed with the ability to leave any young woman whom he had bed; begging for mercy after he had sexually ravaged her. Sriram was a lover who could play on a woman's body like a musician. He was both patient and forceful in his love making. No lady who experienced him; ever left unsatisfied.
At the age of sixty-eight, Sriram was still a bachelor. It was as if he was cursed. Most attempts at match making in his youth failed. Girls were not impressed with his height or looks. His social status was nothing remarkable. Over time his family & relatives too lost hope. Everyone felt that finding a girl for him was a lost cause! Sriram was forced to satisfy his sexual appetite with call girls. He felt dissatisfied although he could pay & get all his desires satisfied. His immense sexual drive & prowess were combined with an underlying sense of anger at not finding a mate. This often resulted in him expressing his frustration with paid lovers, by indulging in sexual perversions.
Sriram first set sight upon Sheela two years ago. He was a guest at a dinner hosted by Sheelas's husband, Rahul & mother-in-law, who were related to him. Rahul's family was in a dire situation after his dad had passed away at an early stage in the boy's life. Taking pity upon the family, Sriram has supported them financially. After his studies; he helped Rahul to find a job. Rahul & his mother Bina were unaware about Sriram's wealth and treated him as a benevolent old man, often in a patronizing manner. He would visit the family, often invited for dinner by Bina who was fairly good looking & considered herself a high society hostess. As a benefactor; albeit an unattractive old man, Sriram was often left to his own devices at these parties. He would barely get a perfunctory introduction to the other guests. When Rahul got married Sriram was abroad & could not attend the wedding. When he first saw Sheela; he was completely bewitched.
Sheela was a tall lass with an hourglass figure. A qualified Chartered Accountant, her looks & beauty overshadowed her intelligence. Her flawless complexion could enable her be mistaken for a foreigner. She was charming, vivacious & bubbly by nature, easily making friends. She hailed from a poor family & had lost both her parents at an early age. Brough up by an uncle; she was always treated a secondary citizen to her cousins. Sheela was happy to get married to Rahul; looking to escape her home. Little did she know, that Bina felt highly insecure upon seeing her new daughter in law. The bride was prettier, and given freedom, Sheela would easily overshadow both mother & son. She quickly convinced Rahul; that their family tradition would not allow Sheela to pursue a career. She made the girl stay at home to become a full-time housewife. Rahul had grown all his life under his mother's thumb, and told Sheela to obey her & assist his mother in running the house. As an IT Engineer; Rahul had to frequently travel. He felt that his mother required help & company at home. Sheela was a dutiful girl and obeyed her husband. She felt stifled at home & often ignored when mother & son would converse upon various matters. Her opinion was rarely sought and any attempts to contribute to the dialogue was quickly put down. Even when the duo was discussing investments in shares, Sheela's opinion was dismissed casually. Sheela too resigned herself to the role of a housewife serving both husband & mother-in-law.
When Sriram was first introduced to Sheela; he immediately got captivated by her beauty. A keen student of human nature; he quickly observed & understood the dynamics at play. He saw how Bina would often crudely display her authority. Rahul himself would be more deferential to his mother; often ignoring his wife. Sriram could notice the frustration, often bordering upon anger in Sheela's demeanor. Sheela rarely let her mask of pleasantness & image of a demure housewife slip, but Sriram knew better. In most parties, the guests would often converge around Bina. Sriram was used to be the outsider at such parties; but Sheela felt very small and insignificant. Her husband rarely involved her in the conversation & focused upon his mother & the guests. Sheela was only called when snacks & drinks required replenishment.
Sriram made small talk with Sheela as the two were left to their own devices. He learnt that Sheela possessed a sharp brain and had qualified as a Chartered Accountant in her first attempt. During their conversation he was impressed with Sheela's analysis of a few shares he intended to buy. His gentle probing encouraged the girl to open up as she told him her life story. Sriram was too polished to push matters at the first meeting. However, he had quickly sized up Sheela as a prey ripe for his seduction. He was already enamored of her beauty and the gentle well of her ripe breasts. Her sparkling smile revealed two dimples which he was tempted to kiss. He observed that Sheela was feeling alone & left out even when she was with her family. The circumstances were favorable & Sriram knew he had to take advantage. The fact that Sheela was only 22 and he was more than thrice her age did not deter him. On the contrary he was more determined to possess this girl who was young enough to be his granddaughter. He wanted to completely own her!
Sriram was a patient man. He knew that rushing could only defeat his purpose. As he bid good bye to Sheela & her family; he remained a charming but unattractive old family friend. A short man with a big paunch belly and balding head, he was considered a harmless person with who they were obliged to keep a relationship. They felt compelled to invite him although they would not; given a choice. Sriram knew that he was considered a necessary but not welcome guest. He would attend their parties just for a change from his normal lonely evenings. Now he was a man on a mission. He had his sights upon his goal. He was determined to achieve it no matter the means or the morals. He was already plotting & planning; imagining various scenarios that would enable him to seduce Sheela. Sriram was not used to losing. He knew that Sheela stood no chance once he began his carefully planned campaign.
As someone who believed in always timing his moves, Sriram bided his time. His next opportunity to interact with Sheela came only after a month. It was this time a dinner at Sriram's house; where he had invited Rahul & his family along with a few other carefully chosen "high society" families. As anticipated, Rahul's mother hogged the limelight & the son was obediently compliant. The two of them kept conversing with the other guests; relegating Sheela to the sidelines. Sriram had cleverly sent his house help on leave. Rahul's mother Bina, gladly volunteered Sheela to help serve the food & other arrangements. This gave Sriram plenty of time to chat with Sheela. He gradually made her open up to him about her boredom in being confined to household chores. Sheela was too reticent to express her anger at being constantly being bossed over in public by Rahul's mother. Sriram noted her frustration in not being included in any conversation. Sriram cleverly kept praising Sheela's qualifications & intelligence. He got her engrossed in talking about financial matters. He saw how Sheela blossomed open and began to speak freely and with great enthusiasm. Sriram was also truly impressed by her financial acumen. He told her that if she has no objections; he may wish to seek her opinion when he wishes. Sheela readily agreed & they shared telephone numbers. The first step was taken & the ice broken. Sriram did not push matters thereafter. He only satisfied himself by paternally patting Sheela once.
Bina was a prolific entertainer & loved to gather people around her. Although she did not have respect or regard for Sriram; he was almost a constant invitee at all their get togethers. She was aware that Sriram was much wealthier than he appeared. She was unhappy that they had to take his financial help. After her husband passed away, Sriram had helped Rahul secure his high paying job. She felt that she was reciprocating by patronizingly inviting Sriram to all her parties. Bina did not feel guilty even though she ignored him for most of the time. Another advantage of inviting Sriram was that he would often arrive after ordering many dishes from outside. This saved Bina a lot of expenses in arranging a lavish spread. Hence Sriram was not surprised to get another dinner invitation a month after he had hosted Rahul & Sheela.
The get together on this occasion was a little larger than usual. Bina kept Sheela on her toes; rattling out a steady stream of instructions. Sriram felt pity for Sheela & sensed another opportunity to get close to her. He volunteered to help Sheela & was happily playing the role of her assistant. He was not surprised that neither Rahul nor his mother took any notice of him. They were immersed in interacting & trying to impress their high society visitors. They forgot that Sriram was also a guest. An hour of bustling between the kitchen & parlor, loaded with trays of food & drinks took its toll upon Sriram's old body. The sixty-eight-year-old could barely walk and he wearily slouched upon a chair in the kitchen, with his panting body & bald pate shining with sweat.
