THIS IS A COLLECTION OF 18 OF DESAI S SHORT STORIES. THE STORIES WERE PUBLISHED EARLIER. BUT MEHTA CATEGORISED THE STORIES SUBJECTWISE AND PUBLISHED THEM UNDER THE HEADING OF ASHADH IN JAN. 1989. THESE STORIES HAVE A RURAL BACKGROUND. THE LANGUAGE IS USED VERY APPROPRIATELY. IT TAKES US TO THE VILLAGE LIFE IMMEDIATELY. EACH STORY HAS A DIFFERENT STORY TO TELL. THEY ALL REVEAL DIFFERENT MOODS, DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HUMAN MIND. THIS HUMAN MIND IS SOMETIMES VERY SOFT, SOMETIMES DIFFICULT, YET SOMETIMES IT HANDLES THINGS DELICATELY. THE MORE YOU READ THE MORE DIFFICULT IT BECOMES TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF VILLAGE PEOPLE. WHEN YOU FEEL THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT EACH OTHER THEY STOOD TO BE DIFFERENT, WHEN YOU FEEL THAT THEY HARDLY BOTHER ABOUT ANYONE ELSE, THEY REVEAL THE SOFTEST CORNER OF THEIR MIND. THEY REVEAL THE SIMPLICITY, THEY UNMASK DIPLOMACY OF UNIMAGINED TURNS, THEY BETRAY US, THEY CONFIDE IN US.