The Urdu short story ('afsaana') is one of the most significant literary subgenres in Urdu literature, despite its comparatively recent inception. It is a product of the modern industrial and mechanized era, influenced by western influences as well as a range of literary movements and trends. It has welcomed the changing themes and literary devices as well as the changing conceptions of what it is to live that have emerged over time. This book "Muft hoye Badnaam" collects a selection of short stories from contemporary Urdu fiction that were published in several editions of the online journal "Samt," edited by Aijaz Ubaid.