As Drisana gained consciousness, she was feeling a headache and burning sensation in her whole body. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus on her surroundings. There, one lady was sitting beside her with concerned gaze and some men in weird clothing were also around. It seemed she was in some kind of a tent. She closed and opened her eyes a few times trying to remember what happened.

The house.

Basement.

Light.

'What the hell was that?' She thought. Then she noticed the woman and the men were saying something. She looked at them to understand, but it seemed they were talking in some foreign language. She again looked around confused. How she had landed there and what exactly happend and who were these people and what was that language? As a traveller, Drisana had encountered many languages and understood a few of them. But this wasn't anything familiar. What was happening with her?

(The italic words are not understood either by her or the pandavs)

"Putri, how are you feeling now?" Kunti asked. Drisana looked at her in confusion.

"Are you alright, Devi? Are you feeling pain?" Nakul asked her. Again she looked towards him with a frown.

"Why she's not saying anything? " Bheem asked frowning.

"Maybe she's afraid. Don't worry putri. You're safe now." Kunti said trying to assure the poor girl.

"She's not mute, is she?" Bheem said again and everyone looked at Drisana wondering the same.

Still not getting anything they said, Drisana decided to try her luck. Maybe these people knew her language. She asked tentatively,

"Where am I? " All looked at her and then at each other.

"She said something. That means she's not mute." Bheem said. Drisana looked at them hoping maybe they understood, but they were looking more confused now.

"But what she said? What language is it?" Sahdev voiced the thought that was revolving in everyone's mind.

"Putri, what are you trying to say? We're not able to understand your words." Kunti asked her.

Okay. Seemed they also didn't get her. Feeling thirsty Drisana rasped,

"Water."

Again the confused glances were thrown her way. Okay, they were not getting her. Drisana lifted her hand in drinking motion and asked for water. This time though they didn't understand her words, they understood the motion. Kunti helped her in sitting position and gave her water to drink. She again looked around at the people. Strange clothing, strange language, what was happening? Where had she landed and how?

"Where am I? And who are you all?" Drisana asked trying to communicate again.

"Devi, what is this language? We're not aware of this." Arjun said. Confusion and dread was spreading through Drisana fast.

"In which language are you talking?" She asked.

Again glancing at each other Yudhisthir decided to ask his anuj (younger brother), Sahdev.

"Do you know of this language Sahdev?"

"No, Jyesth. It doesn't sound like any language of Aryavart." Sahdev replied.

"I'm getting worried now. Where has this girl come from?" Arjun wondered.

Not knowing what to do, everyone was watching the girl carefully. Then Bheem decided to take matters to his hand.

"Wait, I'll ask. Devi, who are you? " Bheem asked Drisana slowly with hand movements. From his gestures she thought maybe the giant guy was asking for her name.

"Drisana" she replied indicating towards herself. They looked confused for a moment. Drisana slowly spelled her name a few times pointing at herself and finally they were able to get it.

Bheem smiled smugly and gave a look to Sahdev saying, "Keep reading books. Buddhi to hain nahi tum mein. (You don't have a brain)."

Sahdev got irritated and said "Try asking further bhrata Bheem."

Bheem again looked at her and said, "Drisana devi, where are you from and what happened to you?"

If Drisana wasn't in such a situation, she would have laughed out loud at the frantic movements of the big guy. One of the other men gave a cough, clearly trying to control his laugh. She helplessly looked around and then asked through hand movements who they were. The guys looked at her closely and one of them seemed to understand her.

"Maybe she's asking who we are." Arjun said. He came forward folding his hands in greeting and said,

"Parnipat devi. I'm Hastinapur's Rajkumar, Pandu putra (son of Pandu) Arjun. She's my mother Rajmata Kunti. And these are my brothers. He's our Jyesth Hastinapur's Yuvraj (future King) Yudhisthir, that's bhrata Bheem, anuj Nakul and anuj Sahdev."

Drisana gave a confused and distressed shrug not understanding a single word. The guy seemed to understand her ignorance and repeated their names again pointing at each of them.

Some words rang familiar. But she was definitely mistaken. There was no way this guy was introducing himself and others as Arjun, Yudhisthir, Bheem, Nakul, Sahdev and on top of that the ladys' name was Kunti who was probably their mother. This was either a language barrier or she had landed herself among a weird tribe somehow or something. Her headache was killing her and that was the time she lost consciousness.

Everyone looked alarmed as Drisana devi lost consciousness. Nakul checked her and said she was alright, just needed rest and food. First her strange appearance, now her strange language, was enough to make everyone worried.

♧♧♧

It was nighttime when Drisana again gained consciousness. She remembered what happened earlier. The lady was still beside her but the men were missing. Kunti, noticing she had woken up, asked,

"Are you okay, putri?"

Though Drisana didn't understand her words, she nodded thinking the lady must have asked about her wellbeing.

"Do you need anything?" Kunti asked her again smiling warmly.

Drisana kept looking at her. Kunti understood she was not getting her words. So this time with hand gestures Kunti said,

"You should eat something." Understanding her, Drisana got up slowly. She wanted to freshen up first. She made hand gestures and Kunti smiled finally understanding her. She told the dasis (female servants) to help her and later bring her to the other tent to eat.

After she left, the dasis (servants) helped Drisana in freshening up. She was noticing everything carefully and thinking, where the hell was she? The dasis helped her in wearing clothes with much difficulty, practically guiding her like a child and led her outside. It looked like some sort of a camp with torches, horses, and carts. The tent she was led to was a large one. Inside the lady and those five men were sitting around.

The one who was introduced as Yudhisthir said,

"Parnipat devi, how are you feeling now?"

She looked at all of them. No. No luck. She still couldn't understand a word and this weird tribe people were looking at her as if she was a strange creature. This tribe must be well off as the men were wearing gold Jewelleries instead of actual clothing to cover themselves. Kunti came near her with a smile and led her to a low table. There were cushions around the table and Kunti gestured her to seat. She sat and soon the men followed with Kunti's words. The dasis brought the food and they started to eat silently. After they all except the giant finished eating, Drisana thought to try to communicate with them. She cleared her throat to grab their attention and gestured to ask which place was this. They didn't get her. Okay. She asked again who they were. Giving a confused look Arjun again explained the same. 'Right and I'm Draupadi.' Drisana thought sarcastically. She tried some more speaking in different languages, with hand gestures but gave up as her head started to pain again. Her head injury was wraped with some cloth and they had applied some sort of paste in it.

Here the Pandavas were in a fix not knowing what to do with her. Kunti was feeling sad for the poor girl thinking what horrors might she have faced before landing here. They decided to continue their journey to Varanavat (a town in their Kingdom) with her after she rested for one more day.