"Oh, beauty, will you explain why, when you happen to be the sister of that overlord of three worlds, Ravana, you have not come surrounded with attendants and bearers, but all alone, unescorted?" She answered, "I have chosen to reject evil-doers such as my brother and the rest and thrown my lot with those who are saintly and good; and I shun the association of my own people, that's the reason why I'm alone. I have come alone now-mainly to see you.... I want help from you. Will you grant it?" "Tell me your purpose. If it's right and proper, I'll consider it." "It's not proper for a woman of breeding to state her innermost feelings, but I dare to do it, driven to desperation by the attacks of the god of love. Forgive me..." Rama understood her purpose. He realized that she had only an appearance of quality, and was real34h and shameless. He remained silent. Whereupon, unable to decide whether he was encouraging or discouraging, she confirmed, "Not knowing that you were here, I was wasting my youth and beauty in serving ascetics and sages. Now that I have found you, my womanhood can have its own fulfillment." Rama felt a pity for her, and, not wanting to seem hostile, tried to argue her out of her purpose. Overcoming his revulsion, he said, "I am of the warrior class, you are a brahmin, and I cannot marry you." She had an immediate answer for this. "Oh, if that is your only objection to me, then my ebbing hopes are buoyed. Please know that my mother was of the asura class; and for a woman of that class, union with all castes is permissible." Rama was still calm when he mentioned his second objection: "I am a human, and you are of the rakshasa class; and I cannot marry you." Undaunted, she replied, "I humbly remind you, as I have already mentioned, that I have no mind to remain in our class, but am seeking the company of saints and sages; oh, you, who look like Vishnu himself, I should no longer be you, who look like Vishnu himself, I should no longer be considered to belong to Ravana's family or to be his sister, I have already told you that. If that's all your objection, then I have hope." Rama still felt kindly toward her, and said without irritation or acerbity, with a touch of lightheartedness, "After all, a bride of your class should be presented properly, when she happens to be a sister of men of eminence such as Kubera and Ravana. You should not be offering yourself like this in matrimony." "When two persons meet and inwardly have attained union, there is no need for elders to take any formal part in such a marriage. It's sanctioned under Gandharva rites. Also, my brothers are hostile to ascetics, and stop at nothing when they want to fight them; they observe no rules or disciplines under those circumstances; you are alone and you wear the robes of ascetics, and if they see you, nothing can stop them from attacking you. But if they realize that we are married like Gandharvas, they will relent, be kind to you, and even adopt you and confer on you honours and wealth and overlordship of several worlds... think of it." At this Rama was amused and remarked, "Ah, is this one way in which the fruits of my penance and sacrifices are to be realized-achieve the grace of rakshasas, gain domestic bliss through your company, and all the conquests thereof?" She noted his smile, but missed the irony and was about to say something else when she noted that there was another woman in the picture. Sita had just emerged from the cottage. At the sight of her, Kamavalli looked stunned. She scrutinized the vision inch by inch and was filled with the profoundest admiration as well as despair. If that beautiful creature was the occupant of the cottage, there was no hope for her. She demanded bluntly, "Who is this?" Sita's radiance seemed to precede her actual arrival. Kamavalli had first noticed the light and only then had she seen Sita engulfed in that effulgence. Her jaw fell at this spectacle; for a moment she lost herself in gazing on this pair whose beauty complemented each other; if there was anywhere in creation a male with the perfection of attributes, to be matched by a perfect female, here it was. Kamavalli momentarily forgot her own infatuation in the spell cast by the presence of this pair. But it was only a fleeting distraction. Her passion soon revived. She assumed that Sita too was one who had sneaked up to Rama on some forest path and attached herself to him. She could not be this man's wife, as no wife would care to face the hardship of a forest existence. He must surely have left his wife, if he had one, back at home, and now lived with this woman in the forest. Kamavalli said to Rama very seriously, "Great one! Don't your own people.