On their way to the wine glasses, Sita spotted Mandodari standing in a circle of a few attractive women. She tried to avoid eye contact because she really was not in the mood to talk to anyone besides her closest friends. Sita thought she was successful in dodging Mandodari's gaze, but was wrong. Sita quickly picked up the train of her dress and headed straight for the ladies room to make sure Mandodari wouldn't catch her. Unfortunately for Sita, Mandodari caught up to her and said, "We need to talk." Sita looked straight into her eyes and said, "I have nothing to say to you, Mandodari."
Mandodari was slightly taken aback by Sita's words. She had never heard the queen say anything harsh. Sita quickly added, "What has happened in the past, is in the past, there is no need to bring anything up! Can we just go back to enjoying the party?"
However, Mandodari was adamant about talking to Sita and Sita could see it in her eyes. Mandodari shot an evil glance at Sita's friends and they all got the hint and backed away. This left Sita standing all alone and with no choice but to face whatever Mandodari wanted to say to her.
Mandodari began by saying that Sita ruined her life and it was all Sita's fault that she was now a miserable widow, since Rama had killed Mandodari's husband Ravana. Mandodari claimed that Sita was not the goddess of love that everyone thought she was, but instead was a home-wrecker and a liar! Sita's jaw dropped. No woman had ever insulted Sita as much as Mandodari had just done.
Sita unwillingly began fighting with Mandodari. She began by pointing out that Ravana had kidnapped her, and that things would have been different if she had gone voluntarily to Ravana. In a rush of anger Sita yelled, "Maybe, if you had been satisfying your husband, then he would not have come after me!" The were gasps from the recently gathered audience of women who were now circling around Sita and Mandodari. Sita exclaimed, "You were supposed to be his better half and were supposedly his favorite wife! Clearly you were not able to give Ravana everything he needed because he came after me!"
You could see blood rushing to Mandodari's face as she thought of something to say in response to Sita. Mandodari was clearly filled with sadness about her beloved husband, Ravana, who had died at the hands of Rama. She stood there unable to come up with an argument for Sita. Sita noticed this. She also noticed that Mandodari was looking thinner, paler, and definitely not as beautiful as she did when Ravana was alive.
Sita looked lovingly at Mandodari and said, "Listen, I am sorry about your husband, and despite all the evil things he tried to do to me, I forgive him and I forgive you." This time Mandodari's jaw dropped! Sita went on to say that she wasn't angry at Ravana for making her life miserable by separating her from her husband for so long and that she understood Mandodari's pain. She felt the same pain when she thought that Rama had died. Sita then did something no one saw coming! She invited Mandodari to come live with her in Aydohya and enjoy all the luxuries she would have if she was still a queen. Mandodari accepted her offer but still didn't understand how Sita could forgive Ravana for being such a demon. Mandodari thought to herself about how hard it was for her to forgive her own husband and how she felt that she had still not completley forgiven him. She was thankful that Sita was now her friend because if anybody could teach her something about forgivness, Sita would be the one!