There was a great noise towards the back of our house. I went upstairs. Some men were looking upwards and trying to erect a tower for a telecom giant. The incident happened to be about 12 years back. It took them 3-4 days in the completion of their work. Now the tower was standing erect with all its parabolic antennas and other attachments.it appeared as if the tower had pierced through some lower layers of the sky. What a miraculous growth by new means of communication! They won’t leave air space blank.
  
Earlier at the same place, there used to be a Banyan tree. Lots of birds—parrots, pigeons, doves, mynahs and animals like squirrels had made it their dwelling place. But the tree was felled after some years. I still remember those days when defeated kites got stuck into its branches and frolicsome children including me would wander there to catch these and also relished fruit of Solanumnigrum that grew beneath the tree on some asbestos sheets. Even its seed comes from the droppings of the birds.  Alas! Those days of childhood will never come back.
  
Though I liked the tree and all the creatures that were dependent on it in some way or other, contempt also lurked somewhere for it. The tree used to hide rising moon on the eve of KarvaChautha and my mother had to wait for long to seek the blessings of the moon. Finally the tree was cut down and I felt happy in the deeper recesses of my heart.
  
Now the tower stands there and the owner is ecstatic when he receives the rent for the area on which this modern creation stands. The tree wasn’t paying him anything. Some birds perch on the rods of the tower. I look at the moon triumphantly as if I had conquered the satellite itself.
  
Reflecting I feel that human beings care only for their material needs irrespective of the other living creatures. We snatch away these habitats where different species live favourably and communicate freely for the signs of food, shelter, danger etc. and we boast of reaching inaccessible areas communicating with other human tribes and races at the cost of beautiful creation of nature. Where this quest will lead us to nobody knows.