Overcoat

A Coat That Changed Everything! Have you ever had some article of clothing that you hated to take off? Well, I will tell you a story about a man whose entire life changed over a coat. Funny, huh? Don’t fret, this is much more than a story about clothing. What is “Overcoat”? “Overcoat” is a short story that is a part of the syllabus of the 11th grades. It is written by Ghulam Abbas, a well-known Urdu writer, and each story is very simple yet powerful. We are taught about appearance, society, and how we all often judge one another by appearance. Let Meet the Mysterious Man This story takes place on a cold, wintry night in Lahore, a nice young gentleman, dressed well, walks along the streets of the city. He appears to be affluent. His overcoat looks to be expensive, his shoes are brightly polished, and he carries himself with confidence. As if the gentleman is above reproach, even though he is merely traversing the streets, those around him even see him as someone of importance. As he enters, he places an order for food and drink to warm himself. After some time, as he gets up and opens the café door, he walks outside, and something odd occurs. The man seems to collapse and die there in the street. The Shocking Twist Here comes the shocking twist! After the man has died and people attending to the scene check his body, it is revealed that underneath his overly extravagant coat is a man dressed in rags. Therefore, he was not affluent; all it was was a coat! This all became quite hard hitting because it revealed to us how others decided the man’s situation, all because the man only appeared successful, or rather came from…