MINGORA: Unlike other children, 11-year-old Mehboob has no interest in watching cartoons or playing games in his free time.

What he likes the most after coming from school is to stop the vehicles of tourists and ask them to buy his fresh figs. Standing at roadside in Ramait village of Bahrain tehsil, he along with his younger brother signals every vehicle to stop and ask the travellers to buy the tasty and fresh figs.

“Every day after coming from school, I and my brother pick the figs and come to the roadside and sell them. Though majority of the vehicles pass by without noticing us yet some of them stop and buy our figs,” Mehboob told Dawn.

He said that almost every tourist had a brief chat with him before buying the figs. “The tourists always talk to me as they want to know about my education and my favourite games. After a brief chat they buy the figs and leave,” he said.

Mehboob said that he had no interest in watching cartoons or playing games. He said that he loved to meet and talk to different types of people.

“In the evening, I climb fig trees outside my house and pluck the fruit while my mother strings it on a thick rope in the morning. When I come back from school the arrays of fresh figs wait for me to be sold,” he said. He added that he earned Rs500 to Rs800 daily.

“Women tourists always treat me tenderly and often offer me extra money. They advise me to carry on my education,” he said. He added he liked it when they left him with a smile.

Quoting his grandfather, young Mehboob said that fig tree was the oldest tree in the world and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) liked the fruit. “Everyone should eat fig as it is good for those who have arthritis and headache,” he added.

Fig trees can be seen everywhere in Swat valley and its fruit is available for people free of cost, however, dried fig is sold in shops as it is popular among people.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2016