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The old man remained dreaming in the sun. His kite shop was gone. He still made kites for his own amusement and for the benefit of his grandson, Ali. Not many people bought kites these days. Adults disdained them and children preferred to spend their time at the cinema. Moreover, there were not many open spaces left for flying of kites.

But the old man remembered a time when grown men flew kites and great battles were fought, the kites swerving and swooping in the sky, tangling with each other until the string of one was severed. Kite flying was then the sport of the kings, and the old man remembered how the Nawab himself would participate in this noble pastime. There was time, then, to spend an idle hour with a gay dancing strip of paper. Now everyone hurried in a heat of hope and delicate things like kites and daydreams were trampled underfoot.

He, Mehmood the kite-maker, had in the prime of his life been well-known throughout the city. Some of his kites sold for three or four rupees each! Everyone in the neighbourhood would ask after his health; but now, no one visited him. The children who had bought kites from him 10 years ago, had grown up in a swiftly changing and competitive world and they looked at the old kite-maker and the banyan tree with the same indifference. Both were taken for granted – permanent fixtures that were of no concern to the raucous, sweating mass of humanity that surrounded them.

The old man remained dreaming in the sun. His kite shop was gone. He still made kites for his own amusement and for the benefit of his grandson, Ali. Not many people bought kites these days. Adults disdained them and children preferred to spend their time at the cinema. Moreover, there were not many open spaces left for flying of kites.

But the old man remembered a time when grown men flew kites and great battles were fought, the kites swerving and swooping in the sky, tangling with each other until the string of one was severed. Kite flying was then the sport of the kings, and the old man remembered how the Nawab himself would participate in this noble pastime. There was time, then, to spend an idle hour with a gay dancing strip of paper. Now everyone hurried in a heat of hope and delicate things like kites and daydreams were trampled underfoot.

He, Mehmood the kite-maker, had in the prime of his life been well-known throughout the city. Some of his kites sold for three or four rupees each! Everyone in the neighbourhood would ask after his health; but now, no one visited him. The children who had bought kites from him 10 years ago, had grown up in a swiftly changing and competitive world and they looked at the old kite-maker and the banyan tree with the same indifference. Both were taken for granted – permanent fixtures that were of no concern to the raucous, sweating mass of humanity that surrounded them.

The old man remained dreaming in the sun. His kite shop was gone. He still made kites for his own amusement and for the benefit of his grandson, Ali. Not many people bought kites these days. Adults disdained them and children preferred to spend their time at the cinema. Moreover, there were not many open spaces left for flying of kites.

But the old man remembered a time when grown men flew kites and great battles were fought, the kites swerving and swooping in the sky, tangling with each other until the string of one was severed. Kite flying was then the sport of the kings, and the old man remembered how the Nawab himself would participate in this noble pastime. There was time, then, to spend an idle hour with a gay dancing strip of paper. Now everyone hurried in a heat of hope and delicate things like kites and daydreams were trampled underfoot.

He, Mehmood the kite-maker, had in the prime of his life been well-known throughout the city. Some of his kites sold for three or four rupees each! Everyone in the neighbourhood would ask after his health; but now, no one visited him. The children who had bought kites from him 10 years ago, had grown up in a swiftly changing and competitive world and they looked at the old kite-maker and the banyan tree with the same indifference. Both were taken for granted – permanent fixtures that were of no concern to the raucous, sweating mass of humanity that surrounded them.

The old man remained dreaming in the sun. His kite shop was gone. He still made kites for his own amusement and for the benefit of his grandson, Ali. Not many people bought kites these days. Adults disdained them and children preferred to spend their time at the cinema. Moreover, there were not many open spaces left for flying of kites.

But the old man remembered a time when grown men flew kites and great battles were fought, the kites swerving and swooping in the sky, tangling with each other until the string of one was severed. Kite flying was then the sport of the kings, and the old man remembered how the Nawab himself would participate in this noble pastime. There was time, then, to spend an idle hour with a gay dancing strip of paper. Now everyone hurried in a heat of hope and delicate things like kites and daydreams were trampled underfoot.

He, Mehmood the kite-maker, had in the prime of his life been well-known throughout the city. Some of his kites sold for three or four rupees each! Everyone in the neighbourhood would ask after his health; but now, no one visited him. The children who had bought kites from him 10 years ago, had grown up in a swiftly changing and competitive world and they looked at the old kite-maker and the banyan tree with the same indifference. Both were taken for granted – permanent fixtures that were of no concern to the raucous, sweating mass of humanity that surrounded them.

The old man remained dreaming in the sun. His kite shop was gone. He still made kites for his own amusement and for the benefit of his grandson, Ali. Not many people bought kites these days. Adults disdained them and children preferred to spend their time at the cinema. Moreover, there were not many open spaces left for flying of kites.

But the old man remembered a time when grown men flew kites and great battles were fought, the kites swerving and swooping in the sky, tangling with each other until the string of one was severed. Kite flying was then the sport of the kings, and the old man remembered how the Nawab himself would participate in this noble pastime. There was time, then, to spend an idle hour with a gay dancing strip of paper. Now everyone hurried in a heat of hope and delicate things like kites and daydreams were trampled underfoot.

He, Mehmood the kite-maker, had in the prime of his life been well-known throughout the city. Some of his kites sold for three or four rupees each! Everyone in the neighbourhood would ask after his health; but now, no one visited him. The children who had bought kites from him 10 years ago, had grown up in a swiftly changing and competitive world and they looked at the old kite-maker and the banyan tree with the same indifference. Both were taken for granted – permanent fixtures that were of no concern to the raucous, sweating mass of humanity that surrounded them.

There can be no greater example of a mankind's creative genius than for him to create new abodes of life throughout the solar system. Today, with an increasing population of more than six billion people and the fear of possible disaster, the need for an alternate home for mankind has become urgent. Mars is the only planet in our solar system, besides Earth – that has all the ingredients necessary to support life. Though the average surface temperature on Mars is frigid and it is a desolate lifeless planet, Mars once had an atmosphere thick and warm enough to allow for the flow of liquid on its surface.

If it is ever done, transforming a dry, desert-like Mars into a lush environment that can support the flora and fauna of the Earth, will be a mammoth task requiring decades or maybe centuries! Two methods have been proposed to make this a reality. One is placing large orbital mirrors that will reflect sunlight and heat onto the polar caps of Mars, which would melt the ice there. Gradually, the rise in temperature would release the greenhouse gases and heat the planet.

Another option would be to set-up solar-powered, greenhouse gas producing factories. Imitating the process of photosynthesis, the atmosphere of Mars would be oxygenated to the extent that people would survive on Mars with only a breathing apparatus.

While we may reach Mars this century, it would take several millennia for transforming it into a planet wherein plants and animals can flourish.

There can be no greater example of a mankind's creative genius than for him to create new abodes of life throughout the solar system. Today, with an increasing population of more than six billion people and the fear of possible disaster, the need for an alternate home for mankind has become urgent. Mars is the only planet in our solar system, besides Earth – that has all the ingredients necessary to support life. Though the average surface temperature on Mars is frigid and it is a desolate lifeless planet, Mars once had an atmosphere thick and warm enough to allow for the flow of liquid on its surface.

If it is ever done, transforming a dry, desert-like Mars into a lush environment that can support the flora and fauna of the Earth, will be a mammoth task requiring decades or maybe centuries! Two methods have been proposed to make this a reality. One is placing large orbital mirrors that will reflect sunlight and heat onto the polar caps of Mars, which would melt the ice there. Gradually, the rise in temperature would release the greenhouse gases and heat the planet.

Another option would be to set-up solar-powered, greenhouse gas producing factories. Imitating the process of photosynthesis, the atmosphere of Mars would be oxygenated to the extent that people would survive on Mars with only a breathing apparatus.

While we may reach Mars this century, it would take several millennia for transforming it into a planet wherein plants and animals can flourish.

There can be no greater example of a mankind's creative genius than for him to create new abodes of life throughout the solar system. Today, with an increasing population of more than six billion people and the fear of possible disaster, the need for an alternate home for mankind has become urgent. Mars is the only planet in our solar system, besides Earth – that has all the ingredients necessary to support life. Though the average surface temperature on Mars is frigid and it is a desolate lifeless planet, Mars once had an atmosphere thick and warm enough to allow for the flow of liquid on its surface.

If it is ever done, transforming a dry, desert-like Mars into a lush environment that can support the flora and fauna of the Earth, will be a mammoth task requiring decades or maybe centuries! Two methods have been proposed to make this a reality. One is placing large orbital mirrors that will reflect sunlight and heat onto the polar caps of Mars, which would melt the ice there. Gradually, the rise in temperature would release the greenhouse gases and heat the planet.

Another option would be to set-up solar-powered, greenhouse gas producing factories. Imitating the process of photosynthesis, the atmosphere of Mars would be oxygenated to the extent that people would survive on Mars with only a breathing apparatus.

While we may reach Mars this century, it would take several millennia for transforming it into a planet wherein plants and animals can flourish.

There can be no greater example of a mankind's creative genius than for him to create new abodes of life throughout the solar system. Today, with an increasing population of more than six billion people and the fear of possible disaster, the need for an alternate home for mankind has become urgent. Mars is the only planet in our solar system, besides Earth – that has all the ingredients necessary to support life. Though the average surface temperature on Mars is frigid and it is a desolate lifeless planet, Mars once had an atmosphere thick and warm enough to allow for the flow of liquid on its surface.

If it is ever done, transforming a dry, desert-like Mars into a lush environment that can support the flora and fauna of the Earth, will be a mammoth task requiring decades or maybe centuries! Two methods have been proposed to make this a reality. One is placing large orbital mirrors that will reflect sunlight and heat onto the polar caps of Mars, which would melt the ice there. Gradually, the rise in temperature would release the greenhouse gases and heat the planet.

Another option would be to set-up solar-powered, greenhouse gas producing factories. Imitating the process of photosynthesis, the atmosphere of Mars would be oxygenated to the extent that people would survive on Mars with only a breathing apparatus.

While we may reach Mars this century, it would take several millennia for transforming it into a planet wherein plants and animals can flourish.

There can be no greater example of a mankind's creative genius than for him to create new abodes of life throughout the solar system. Today, with an increasing population of more than six billion people and the fear of possible disaster, the need for an alternate home for mankind has become urgent. Mars is the only planet in our solar system, besides Earth – that has all the ingredients necessary to support life. Though the average surface temperature on Mars is frigid and it is a desolate lifeless planet, Mars once had an atmosphere thick and warm enough to allow for the flow of liquid on its surface.

If it is ever done, transforming a dry, desert-like Mars into a lush environment that can support the flora and fauna of the Earth, will be a mammoth task requiring decades or maybe centuries! Two methods have been proposed to make this a reality. One is placing large orbital mirrors that will reflect sunlight and heat onto the polar caps of Mars, which would melt the ice there. Gradually, the rise in temperature would release the greenhouse gases and heat the planet.

Another option would be to set-up solar-powered, greenhouse gas producing factories. Imitating the process of photosynthesis, the atmosphere of Mars would be oxygenated to the extent that people would survive on Mars with only a breathing apparatus.

While we may reach Mars this century, it would take several millennia for transforming it into a planet wherein plants and animals can flourish.