Amdavad Blues: 15 Tales of Heat, Heart, and Hustle from Ahmedabad’s Soul

Ahmedabad is not just a city. It is a canvas painted with centuries of history, the fragrance of fresh fafda-jalebi mornings, the sound of temple bells echoing through narrow pols, and the laughter of kite-filled skies. To walk through Amdavad is to feel both the pulse of modern India and the heartbeat of timeless traditions.

It is this living, breathing paradox that my new book, Amdavad Blues: 15 Tales of Heat, Heart, and Hustle, seeks to capture.

Why Amdavad Blues?

As part of my Heartbeats of India series, each book celebrates the character of a different Indian city through a collection of stories. Ahmedabad—or as locals fondly call it, Amdavad—is a city that refuses to be defined in a single sentence.

Here, Sidi Saiyyed’s intricate jaalis stand beside shining malls. Kite strings criss-cross the January sky while the Sabarmati Riverfront glows under neon lights. Amdavad is both chaotically modern and serenely old-world.

Amdavad Blues brings together 15 short stories that mirror this duality—stories of families in crumbling havelis, food delivery riders chasing time, Uber drivers questioning morality, and old women holding on to fading heritage. Each tale is woven with humour, poignancy, and the unmistakable flavour of the city.

What Will You Find Inside the Book?

✨ Pols and Pyaar – The old city’s pols with their gossip, secrets, and unmatched neighbourly warmth.✨ Food and Festivals – From kite battles on Uttarayan to late-night gathiya cravings, the stories celebrate what truly unites Amdavadis.✨ People and Paradoxes – An HR head debating ambition with an Uber driver, a grandmother guarding her diary against demolition, a delivery boy balancing four orders and his daughter’s PTA meeting—each character is unapologetically real.✨ Heritage and Hustle – The timeless Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, the chaotic Shyamal Crossroads, the romance of Sabarmati Riverfront—all play silent witnesses to the drama of daily lives.

Why You Should Read Amdavad Blues

1. For the Stories: These are not touristy snapshots; they are lived experiences. They reveal the humour, struggle, warmth, and contradictions that make Ahmedabad what it is.

2. For the Culture: The book is soaked in Gujarati idioms, food, festivals, and quirks, offering both nostalgia for locals and discovery for outsiders.

3. For the Reflection: Each story closes with a subtle emotional or philosophical note—reminding us of resilience, love, hope, and the small truths of life.

Excerpt: A Glimpse into Amdavad

“The diary smelled faintly of paan and incense. Each page held not just words, but the hum of temple bells, the rustle of kite strings, the sigh of a city forever balancing memory and modernity. As bulldozers threatened the haveli, the old woman whispered: ‘This is not just my home. It is Amdavad itself.’”

This is the spirit of Amdavad Blues—intimate, humorous, emotional, and deeply human.

Get Your Copy

If you love Indian short stories, if you want to explore Ahmedabad through literature, or if you simply wish to hold a piece of Gujarati culture in your hands, Amdavad Blues is waiting for you.

👉 [Buy it on Amazon here] https://amzn.to/41YjyuE

Final Reflection

Cities change, skylines shift, and old havelis crumble. Yet, the true soul of a city survives—in its food, festivals, families, and fleeting conversations. Amdavad Blues is not just about Ahmedabad. It is about what makes every city in India unique, and what makes all of us—despite our differences—deeply connected.

💙 Read it. Live it. Feel the heartbeat of Amdavad.