Ashwini Bhatt was born to educationist Harprasad Bhatt and Sharadaben Bhatt on 12 August 1936 in Ahmedabad. He graduated in psychology. He was interested in theatre and he worked as a child artist in Gujarati adoption of Bengali drama Bindur Chhele (Bindu No Kiko). He had failed in several business ventures like poultry farm to a vegetable vendor before starting career as a writer. He moved to United States in 2002. He died on 10 December 2012 at Dallas, Texas, US
He wrote twelve novels and three novellas. He translated several works in Gujarati including Alistair MacLean and James Hadley Chase. He also translated Freedom at Midnight by Collins and Lapierre in Gujarati as Ardhi Rate Azadi which was critically acclaimed.
His serialized novels include Othaar, Faanslo, Aashka Maandal, Katibandh, Nirja Bhargav, Lajja Sanyal, Aayno, Angaar, Jalkapat and Aakhet. Besides writing novels, he was also involved in theatre. His Katibandh was made into TV series.
It took me more than a year to start this book after my wife recommended it to me. I was reluctant to start this book due to font format. Small size font and less than 1:1 line spacing makes this book longer than what is looks like. 452 pages of book will be more than 800 if it is reprinted using normal book standard. Well I didn't regret after starting this book. Each and every page was worth reading.
If I talk about writing style, Ashwini Bhatt has detailed almost each and every major, minor and side character of the story. He had even detailed most of the locations which can help reader visualize it to last point.
Coming to story, author has narrated 3-4 interrelated stories in this volume. Each story is full of thrill and twist-turns. Starting from background of Vasant Gaonkar and his dark background; to his rebirth and adventure as pirate and businessman; to Jagjitsingh Hara's freedom fights, to Gulshan Rai's struggle in police department to blackmailer; to love story shaping between Shemal and Urja; each story was sure-shot page turner.
If I talk about rating Cover - 2.5 / 5 (Though hardcover but looks boring) Concept - 5 / 5 Content - 5 / 5 Language - 4.5 / 5 Story Line - 5 / 5 Characters - 5 / 5 Overall - 5 / 5
I am a kind of person who loves English literature but aakhet has made me fall in love with Gujarati literature.
journey of shirke to gavnkar is described awesomely and twisted love of urja gavnkar and shemal paswan is not a common love story you expect it was something else .Ashwini Bhtt has described characters extraordinary .Specially the character of shemal paswan and vasan gavnkar...if they were real I would personally love to meet them.