OVERCOAT
On a January evening, a nobby young man crossed the Davis Road and
reached at Mall Road then he turned towards Chairing Cross and started walking
on footpath in jovial manner. This young man appeared enough fashionable by his
make. Glittering hair, trimmed moustaches as made with Stibnite, wearing an
overcoat of drab colour. There was an ajar red rose, attached in his button hole, a
green felt hat on head in particular crooked style, a white scarf made of silk around
his neck. His one hand was inside the pocket of coat and in other, there was a
willow stick which he twirled infrequently in amusement.
It was a Saturday evening, heavywinters. Cold and violent air felt like a jet
metal on bodies but it seemed that even such a coldness had no effect on the young
man. People were walking fast to keep themselves warm but he was not in need to
do so as walking in such icy wintertime was a delightful activity for him.
The gaiety appearance from his tenor attracted Tonga drivers so much that
they made their horses gallop towards him but he inhibited them with stick in hand.
An empty taxi stopped too but he refused it too by saying, “Thank You”.
As he moved towards the liveliest part of the Mall, his jovialityamplified
gradually. He whistled an English musical symphony and while doing so, his feet
raised in dancing manners. Once when nobody was around him, he, all of a
sudden, imitated to bowl with great zeal as a cricket match was going on.
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On way, road towards Lawrence Garden was there but at this time of
evening, when mistiness and heavy fog both were adding more in gloom of garden,
he didn‟t go for the garden and continued straight ahead towards Chairing Cross.
After reaching near the statue of Queen Victoria, his activities gained
solidity. He took out his hankie which was tucked in left sleeve of coat instead of
pocket dabbed on face quiet slowly. It was just because to clean the dust on face, if
some. In a nearby grassy piece, English Children were playing with a big ball. He
made himself busy in watching their game as it was fascinating him. For the time
being, children remained busy without taking a note of his interest but when he
continued his observance consistently, they gradually started to feel shy. Suddenly
handling the ball, laughing and running behind each other, they moved far away,
suddenly, from that piece of grass.
The youngman saw an empty cement bench and he sat on it. At that time,
with dark heaps of evening, coldness was increasing too. This winter‟s intensity
was not unpleasant but preachedsexuality too. The sensual class of the city
becomes jolly too and feels more comfort in such wintertime. The reclusive, even,
are enticed by this heavy chilliness. They think to join any aggregation and
assemblage by leaving their hidings to get the adjacency of the bodies. This desire
for acquisitioning for felicity yanked them on Mall and they were enjoying in
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restaurants, coffee houses, casinos, cinemas and on other entertaining spots as per
their capacity.
Although there was a huge rush of motors, tongas and bicycles on Mall
Road but pedestrians were also infest on pavement. Apart from this, the buying and
selling business in shops on both sides of road was at acme. Those ill-fated who
could not afford to enter any entertainment spot or buy anything, they were
comforting their heart and eyes by watching the magnificent lights of these shops
and spots.
The young man was observing every individual, passing from the front side
of him, with great interest and what he observed most was their outfits not the
looks. These individuals were of different types and visages. The rich traders, govt.
officials, leaders, artists, students of various colleges, nurses, news reporters and
clerks of offices and most of them were putting on overcoats… Every type of
overcoat, the costly overcoat from Astarkhan and nut-brown old military coat
which were bought from secondhand cloth shops. The overcoat of young man,
although, was old but its cloth was of up-quality and well stitched by any expert
tailor. Its appearance showed that it was handled with great upkeep. The lapel was
stiffed and sleeves were well creased, there was not a single wrinkle. The big,
shiny buttons were made ofhorns. The young man appeared much happy in it.
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A boy selling Paan and cigarettes in a tray, held with a circular strip round
his neck, passed from the front. The young man called him.
“Paan Seller!”
“Yes Sir”
“Do you have change for a ten rupee note?”
“No Sir but I will bring it for you. What do you want to take?”
“And what if you run away and don‟t come back?”
“Gosh! I am not a thief. If you do not believe me then you may come with me.”
“No. It‟s ok. I will manage it by myself. Here it is one anna. Take it and give me a
cigarette of Gold Flake. And be off.”
After the dismissal of boy, he smoked the cigarette and relished every puff. He
seemed to be in much ecstasy as smoke of Gold Flake had sent him into a world of
intoxication. A little white cat, shivering with cold mewed near his feet. He called
the pitiable creature with affection and it leapt up on the bench. He rubbed his
hands against its fur and said,
“Poor little soul.”
He raised himself from bench, crossed the road and turned towards the
cinema where lights were flashing. The show was started and there was no hustle
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and bustle in cinema‟s yard. Only few people were there, analyzing the posters of
upcoming releases. These posters and pictures were affixed various small and big
boards. Only choosiest scenes of the story were there upon that stuff.
Three young Anglo-Indian girls were also observing the pictures with
excessive absorption. With a particular dignity of unconcernedness and
maintaining the respect for the fair sex, he kept on to see the film posters with
those girls but at an appropriate distance. The girls were talking mirthfully and also
giving opinions on movies. The one beautiful and bold among them, suddenly
guffawed and then this jolly trinity went out. The young man did not take any
effect of all this and after a while he found himself out the cinema‟s building.By
now it was past seven and he was marooning on the pavement of Mall again. An
orchestra was being played in a restaurant. The outside gathering was more than
insiders. Most of them were motors‟ drivers, Tonga riders, fruit sellers who were
standing with empty bins after selling the fruits, some pedestrians who stopped
only to have amusement, some laborers and beggars too. They were seemed to be
more epicure of music than the insiders because they were not manhandling and
listening quietly the composition although the symphony and the instrumentals
were alien. The young man stopped for a while and then progressed in advance.
A few moments later, he found an English music shop there and he entered
unhesitatingly. English musical instruments were placed in shelves everywhere. On
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a long table, two paged books of Western music were arranged. These were new
modernized songs. Title pages of the books were very attractive and colorful but
the symphonies were cheap and shoddy. He just threw a glance upon them and
diverted his attention towards instruments. He gazed critically on a Spanish Guitar,
hanging with a wall and read the price tag, attached with it. A little forward,
German piano was placed. He raised the cover of piano up, played some keys and
shut it again. A sale representative came towards him.
“Good Evening Sir! How may I help you?”
“No! Thank you. Just hand me over an up-to-date list of gramophones.”
He took the list and put it in pocket of overcoat, came out of the shop and started to
walk again. His next destination was a book stall of smaller proportion. He turned
pages of fresh magazines and took greater care in placing it on right place after
observation. Moving onward, a carpet shop gained his attention. The proprietor,
wearing a long robe and turban on head, welcomed him warmly.
“I just want to see this Persian carpet. Don‟t bother to take it down. I‟ll check it
right there. How much does it cost?”
“Only 1432 rupees.”
The young man constringed his eye-brows in such manner as he wanted to say,
“It‟s too much.”
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The shopkeeper understood the gesture and said, “You just select the article. We
will take rates as lower as we can.”
“Gracious! Right now I am here only to have a look.”
“Our pleasure sir. Anytime.”
After two or three minutes, he left the shop. The rose in button hole was
little out. He adjusted it having a nugatory and strange smile on face and started to
maroon again. Now he was crossing the High court. Even after a long walk, there
was no dissimilarity in his cheerfulapproach, no jadedness, no drabness. Now the
herds of people were becoming lesser in numbering and now distance was going
on to be enlarged. He tried to circulate the willow stick on one finger but failed and
it fell down on ground. He bend down to pick up the stick, saying, “O Sorry.”
He had seen many faces up till now in his wandering but none of them
fascinated him. In fact, either there was no charisma in them or he was so selfindulged
that he didn‟t pay heed to anyone but an interesting couple, having the
beauty like characters in fictions, abruptly won his admiration. They made him
extremely yearned to listen their talk and to see their faces, too, if possible. Now
the trio reached near the post office square. The boy and girl stopped for a while
and after crossing the road, they started to walk on McLeod Road. The young man
kept standing on Mallas he didn‟t want to cast doubt on himself. When the couple
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was gone 100 yards forward, he flashed to follow them. Hardlyhewasin the middle
of the road when a van, filled with bricks, came like a blizzard, trampling him,
went towards the McLeod Road.The driver slowed down for a moment when he
heard the shriek of the young man. He was sure that someone had become victim
of satanic wheels. He took the advantage of night and ran away with van. Two or
three wayfarer who were witnessing this accident noised, “Note the number” but
the van was gone. Meanwhile many other people gathered there. A traffic inspector
who was going on a bike, stopped there. Both legs were completely quashed in
accident. Too much blood was flowed and he was gasping. A car was stopped and
he was sent to main hospital. A bit of life was in his body when he reached
hospital.
In Emergency ward of the hospital, Assistant Surgeon Mr. Khan and two
young nurses Miss Shehnaz and Miss Gull were on duty. When he was being
carried on a stretcher towards operation room, nurses saw him. His hazel coloured
overcoat was still over his body and white silk scarf was around his neck. His
clothes were daubed with blood and someone had put his green felt hat on his chest
out of sympathy so that it might not be stolen.Shehnaz said to Gull,
“Appearance narrates his belonging to a good family.”
Gull spoke in lower voice,
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“The unfortunate was out to celebrate the Saturday evening with meritorious
measures.”
“Has the driver been caught?”
“No! He ran away.”
“How disgusting!”
In operation room, assistant surgeon and nurses were having a surgical mask
which had covered their facial part beneath eyes. They were busy in taking care of
him. He was laid down on the marble table. The fragrance of oil, massaged on hair,
was in air however a little bit. His hairdo was still at its place although his both
legs were broken in accident. Now it was turn to unclothe him. First, the white silk
scarf, was taken off from his neck. Suddenly Miss Shehnaz and Miss Gull looked
at each other at once and what else they could do? Faces which are the index of
hearty accounts, were hidden under the surgical mask and tongues were silent.
Under the scarf, there was no necktie and collar and even the shirt as well. When
overcoat was taken off, only a timeworn woolen sweater was found with big holes
in it. From these holes a moth eaten and untidy undervest was visible. The young
man covered the neck with silk scarf by using such a skill that his bosom was
hidden. His body was covered with filth. Now it was turn of shoes and socks. The
both Sisterslooked towards each other once again. Shoes were, although old, but
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shiny but the socks were of different colours and thread bared. His filthy heels
were quiet visible. Undoubtly he was no more. His body was laying lifelessly on
the table. His face was now bended towards the wall as along with his body, the
soul too, was feeling shameful from his fellow beings. It appeared like he was
hesitating to have an eye-contact with others. The other things that were picked up
from his pocket were,
A small black comb, a handkerchief, six and half anas, one half-smoked cigarette,
a small diary in which names and addresses were mentioned, a monthly catalogue
of new arrivals of gramophones and some leaflets which were handed over to him
during his course of walking. Alas! His wallow stick was not in list as it was lost in
accident.
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Critical analysis
The story “Overcoat” was originally composed by Ghulam Abbas (1909-
1989),a famousUrdu writer of sub-continent, exhibits his craft in the genre of short
stories in a praiseworthy manner. Abbas was born in British Punjab, a part of subcontinent
and colony of the Great Britain at that time as the name indicates. His
short stories observe the details of actual life and are portrayal of socio-realism.
Being a member of an oppressed society, Abbas knows the anguishes of his people
and on-goings changes due to rule of United Kingdom. The literature produced in
the countries that were once colonized reflects the various effects of colonization
and a term “Empire Writes Back” is used for it. Colonialism leaves its deep and
grave signs on the culture of the colonized nation and this has been prettily
presented by Abbas. The focused subjects of postcolonial literature were,
