Having been indoctrinated by her cunning maid Manthara, Queen Kaikeyi extracts her pound of flesh. She throws a tantrum and lies sprawled on the floor, refusing to be pacified by King Dasharatha unless he fulfils the two boons he had promised her years ago. Her first wish is to make her son Bharata the king and the second which causes Dasharatha to swoon is to banish Rama to the forest for 14 years.