Gandharraj Shakuni was in the living area of his chambers. Standing beside the window, staring at the dark that had fallen with the end of the day, he thought about the upcoming events. Everything had to go according to his plan. He wouldn't let those pandavs return and take away his nephews rightful place.

Duryodhan entered looking at his Mamashree, he thought what was going inside that cunning man's head. He was greatful for his support as without him, he would be nothing more than that Yudhisthirs' servent.

"Mamashree, Purochan has sent message. Pandavs have reached Varanavat, but that idiot Purochan still hasn't finished the work of the palace." Duryodhan informed him with anger clear in his voice. He couldn't breath easily as long as the Pandavs stayed alive.

"Calm down, my son. Be patient. Purochan will do his work in due time. If we hurry, then we'll lose. We won't want to accidentally tip those Pandavs of our intention. Any other news? Everything is still going according to our plan, right?" Shakuni asked, still looking outside.

"Yes, Mamashree. Everything is at it's place. Now just the Pandavs demise remains." Duryodhan said with an evil glint in his eyes.

On a second thought he added, "Heard Pandavs and their mother has taken some mad girl with them to Varanavat."

For the first time Shakuni looked at Duryodhan.

"Mad girl?" Shakuni asked with a frown.

"Yes, Mamashree. Some girl who don't understand our tongue and keeps mumbling in strange language. The girl doesn't even know the simplest customs of ours. The Pandavs and Rajmata Kunti has grown quite protective of the girl. Whole Varanavat is talking about her." Duryodhan grimaced thinking about it. The Pandavs and Kunti didn't even know how to behave like royals. Royals didn't just picked mad girls with no caste and treated her as a guest.

"Interesting. I hope this mad girl doesn't become a hurdle in our plan. Tell Purochan to keep a close eye on her too along with the Pandavs." Shakuni said.

"That girl can do nothing. I don't think we need to worry about her." Duryodhan said not seeing any need for his Mamashree's concern.

"Do as I say my son. Kab konsi maya kaya hi palat de yeh koyi nahi janta. (What element plays which role and changes the game, no one can tell.)"

Duryodhan nodded. He knew better than to question Shakuni even though he thought it unnecessary.

Drisana was thinking about what Krishna said and was still skeptical about it as she followed him absent-mindedly. Was it really true? She was really in the Mahabharat era? In Dwapar yug? What exactly happend to her? But wait, Krishna never visited Pandavs during their stay in Varanavat, right? Then what was he doing here if this was really that time period? And if he was not telling the truth, then how was he able to speak in her tongue when no one else here could, how suddenly she was able to understand sanskrit and what about the strange behaviour and lifestyle of these people. Drisana was torn. Her instincts told her he was speaking the truth. But her mind disagreed. What the hell was going on and what to believe?

And if he was indeed right, then why did he not send her back to her time? What was that about her being in the right place? She had read about Mahabharat. This story had intrigued her too much. She had planned to visit the historical places and evidences that indicated to it's being actually occurred. The war that took the life of 1 billion, 660 million and 20,000 with only 240,165 of the heroes alive who took part in the war. This wasn't something she wanted to be a part of. In her opinion it was overrated and unnecessary. All these sacrifices and blah blah for what? The next 36 years before the Kaliyug started? It's not like the people in Kaliyug followed anything from these times apart from a few and most remembered it for the wrong reasons. Like the time when one of her friends lied to her parents to live with her boyfriend and said, "If you tell a lie for a good reason than it is better than 100 truths." Seriously? Well, it was her business that Drisana didn't wanted to interfere in. She believed in individual person, different choices.

She remembered her mother. Her mother had been exceptionally religious. Though living in San-francisco since her birth, her mama had made a mini temple of their house. She was always busy in those purans and kathas. As a child, she often used to sit with her and heard her mama telling her about the Ramayan and Bhagwat Gita. As she grew older, she wasn't interested in all those things and her mama never forced her to do any religious stuffs. Letting her have her own way. She was always respectful towards those who believed in all that but she just didn't. And now someone was telling her that she was in one of those mythology. Someone who claimed to be Krishna apparently.

Drisana was busy in her thoughts when the Pandavs and Kunti greeted supposed Krishna. Her attention turned towards them when Nakul told them that she was Krishnas' sister. Everyone was looking at her and Krishna with questioning eyes.

"If she is your sister, then why she doesn't know about our language Madhav and what happened to her that she ended up being injured near the pond? And where she has come from because she definitely doesn't belong from Dwarka." Arjun asked Krishna.

Krishna with a smile gave her a look and then turning towards them said, "Why don't you ask her yourself? She's now able to understand you and also answer your

questions Parth." Drisana's breath caught inside and she looked at Krishna wide eyed. He wasn't going to throw her under the bus.....or Pandavs, was he?

"How? She wasn't able to do so even sometimes before." Said Nakul staring at the brother sister duo.

Krishna with a mischievous smile told him, "Good question. Ask her that also. I've to leave for some urgent work, but latter I'll be back to take her with me. Bua, give me permission now." Then on a second thought he added towards the Pandavs, "Take care."

Yudhisthir thinking he was concerned for his sister assured him saying, "Don't worry Vasudev. We'll take care of her till you return."

"I was talking about you all Yuvraj. My sister is fully capable of taking care of herself. It's you I worry about." Krishna said with a playful smile. Pandavs got confused hearing him.

Drisana stared at his back open mouthed. He definitely threw her at the pandavs for their questions. She slowly looked towards them feeling all of their stares and with much dificulty forced a smile on her face.

'People ask help to God when in trouble, but God himself threw me in trouble here.' Drisana thought.

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Drisana had a few qualities or shortcomings, depending on how people looked at it. One of them was to look straight to a persons eyes and feed them bullshit. Now though she enjoyed doing that sometimes, she didn't want to do it with the people who had saved her life and took care of her. Seeing no way out of it, she decided to stick as close to truth as possible. Kunti had advised going inside and talking after dinner. So here she was. Sitting before them after everyone finished dinner except the giant or

Bheem as he called himself.

"So, tell us Drisana devi what happened to you and how suddenly you started speaking our language? " Yudhisthir asked with a serious expression.

"Okay. I'm not exactly sure what happened. I was visiting my paternal home after a long time and at night there was some sounds. When I went to check, there was light coming out of a door frame and as I neared, it started pulling me inside. I was feeling immense pain in my head and lost consciousness. The next time I opened my eyes I was with you." She explained and then taking a deep breath started again. "As for how I spoke first, it was my

people's language. I didn't know sanskrit as I've never been here before. I prayed to lord Narayan to give me the ability to understand sanskrit and he granted my wish." It was true based on what that supposed Krishna said. The brothers looked confused.

"If you've never been here then how come Madhav call you his sister? And I don't know of any country in Aryavart that doesn't speak or understand sanskrit." Arjun said.

"My country is outside of Aryavart and sanskrit is not used there for reading, writing or speaking. As for bhrata Krishna, he has called me his sister since the moment we met." Drisana replied calmly saying the same words that Krishna used with Nakul.

"There is a country outside of Aryavart?" Sahdev asked, surprise written all over his face.

"Not only one, but many countries. With different cultures and civilizations." It was true also. There just wasn't any means to travel in this time period.

Sahdev looked intrigued. Before he could say anything else Yudhisthir interrupted.

"What about your parents and family? "

"I don't have anyone. My parents died years before." Even after all these years, it still pinched her heart to talk about her late parents.

"It's sad to hear. What about anyone else? There must be someone responsible for your safety and welfare." Yudhisthir enquired in a gentle voice.

Drisana knew where he was going with this. Women in here were treated like a fragile thing and looked after by men. So the concept of an independent women were lost

to them.

"There is no one. I, myself am responsible for my safety and welfare. And I assure you I'm quite capable of doing so." And this was the first time Bheem stopped eating to look at her. He then looked at his brothers and said, "That's why she's here."

Drisana narrowed her eyes at the giant and said, "Just because you don't have independent woman's around here doesn't mean it's something impossible. From the country I came from, customs and cultures are vastly different. There is no king or Yuvraj or slave. Everyone enjoys freedom. Anyone can do anything if they are talented and capable. Be it men or women. And women don't depend on men. They work simultaneously with men at every field. They can earn and expend at their wish. They take their own decisions and if a woman chooses to live alone and be herself, no one has the right to tell her otherwise. Just like me."She said all that in one breath being irritated.

Everyone was staring at her wide eyed, even Kunti.

After a few moments of silence, Yudhisthir asked, "It seems your country is really different from Aryavart then. But I'm unable to understand, devi, how can there be no King? Who takes decisions for your people than?"

"The ministers cabinet. People choose them in every few years and the chosen ministers take decisions regarding the country through discussions." Drisana said being calm again.

"But how? I mean there must be different opinions and rebellion. How the ministers get to agree on a decision without the verdict of a king?" Yudhisthir asked again.

"Yes, it becomes a problem sometimes and they argue a lot. But with mutual understanding and majorities vote they take decisions. It is a lengthy process, sometimes even taking years. But the brightside is that everyone is

considered equal without any one person holding power over others. And also women are welcomed in the ministry if they choose to become a minister. In fact there has been many women who successfully upheld the position." Drisana tried to explain.

"Women also work with men in your country?" Bheem again. This guy was hell bent on pissing her off.

"Yes, they do." She replied with a smile nodding to emphasis her point.

Arjun asked, "I don't understand one thing. If you've never been in Aryavart before than how have you met Madhav"

Drisana was expecting this too. "He was the one who found me. Now how he did that, it can be only answered by him." She said with smiling sweetly.