The hungrier one becomes , the clearer one's mind works also the more sensitive one becomes to the odors of food.
Tarkad, the son of Azure ,certainly thought so. for two whole days he had tasted no food except two small figs purloined from over the wall of a garden . Not another could he grab before the angry women rushed forth and chased him down the street . her shrill cries were still ringing in his ears as he walked through the market place. They helped him to retrain his restless fingers from snatching the tempting fruits from the baskets of the market women .
Never before had he realised how much food was brought to the markets of delhi and how good it smelled .Leaving the market , he walked across to the inn and placed back and forth in front of the eating house. perhaps here he might meet someone he knew; someone from he could borrow some money that would gain him a smile from the unfriendly keeper of the inn and, with it , a liberal helping .Without the money he knew all too well how unwelcome he would be.
In his abstraction he unexpectedly found himself face to face with the one man he wished most to avoid , the tall bony figure of the dabasir ,the horse trader . Of all the friends and others from whom he had borrowed small sums , Dabasir made him feel the most uncomfortable because of his failure to keep his promise to pay promptly.
Dabasir's face lighted up at the sight of him ."ha! tarkad the one who I have been seeking that he might repay the two pieces of cooper which he lent him a moon ago; also the piece of silver which I lent him some time ago. we are well met . I can make use of the coins this very day . what say boy ? what say ?"
Tarkad stuttered and his face flushed . he had naught in his empty stomach to nerve him to argue with the outspoken Dabasir . "I am sorry very sorry" he mumbled weakly ,"but this day I have neither the copper nor the silver with which I could repay " "then get it" Dabasir insisted ."surely thou can get hold of a few coppers and a price of silver to repay the generosity of an old friend of my father ."
"this because ill fortune does pursue me that I cannot pay".
" ill fortune! don't blame the gods for your own weakness . ill fortune pursues every person who thinks more of borrowing than of repaying .Come with me boy while I eat . Iam hungry and will tell you true tale ."
Tarkad flushed with the brutal frankness of Dabasir but here at least was an invitation to enter the coveted doorway of eating house .
Dabasir pushed him to the far corner of the room where they seated themselves over small rugs.
when the waiter came to the table for their order ,dabasir asked for food and ask for only one jug of water.then Dabasir started to tell Tarkad a story of his life.