"Kafan" is a hard-hitting short story by Munshi Premchand that portrays the stark realities of poverty, apathy, and social injustice. It follows Ghisu and Madhav, a father-son duo from a lower-caste, who face a tragic situation when Madhav’s wife dies in childbirth. Instead of arranging for her funeral shroud ("kafan"), they misuse the money in a disturbing yet thought-provoking conclusion.

This story is a sharp critique of societal neglect, inhuman conditions, and moral degradation born of systemic poverty, making it one of Premchand's most controversial and powerful works.