નામાંકિત અભિનેત્રી લજ્જા સંયાલની આ કથા છે. લાખ્ખો પ્રેક્ષકોની સ્વપ્નસુંદરી સમી લજ્જાને એક ખૂન માટે સજા ફટકારવામાં આવે છે.- જન્મટીપની સજા -કોર્ટના સન્નાટામાં શરૂ થતી આ નવલકથામાં શ્વાસ થંભાવી દે તેવા પ્રસંગોની ઘટમાળ સર્જાયેલી છે.
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.
The story, the setting, the pace is well structured and fresh, considering the time it was released. Ashwini Bhatt's writing style is simple yet captivating that keep you hooked even if you have read similar books which came out in recent years.
I am jealous of people who read it in 1970s, when the book was released. I would have been surely obsessed.