Pinjada ko Manchhe

संकलित निबन्धहरूले आधुनिक मनुष्यको एकाकिपना, प्रविधि, पितृसत्ता र पर्यावरणका मुद्दाहरूमा गहन दृष्टि राखेका छन् । पुस्तक निर्माणको मनोवैज्ञानिक विचरण बारे प्रष्ट्याउँदै लेखक गौतम भन्छिन्- 'महामारीले संसारलाई दुईवटा फरक धारमा विभाजन गरिदियो- कोविडभन्दा पहिलो र कोविडभन्दा पछिल्लो धार । महामारी पछिको संसार आफ्नै समस्याको भारी बोकेर आएको छ; साथै यसले नसुल्झेका पुराना मुद्दाहरूलाई अझै चर्काएको पनि छ । यो अन्तरालमा पितृसत्ता, पर्यावरण्, कृषि, समानताका मुद्धाहरुलाई नियाल्ने नयाँ आयाम खुलेका छन । विराटतम स्वतन्त्रताको खोजिमा शहर पसेको मान्छे कस्ता अदृश्य पिँजराहरुको जञ्जालमा फस्दैगएको छ, त्यही प्रकृयाहरुको चिन्तनको उपज हो यो पुस्तक ।'

संकलित निबन्धहरूमा सुपरिचित गद्य-शैली झल्किएको छ । समाचारपत्रमा पूर्व-प्रकाशित उनको निजत्व झल्कने केही लामा लेखहरूले पनि पुस्तकमा स्थान पाएका छन् ।

The collected essays cast a ponderous gaze upon the issues of alienation, technology, patriarchy and ecology. Reminiscing upon the thought process that led to this book, author Gautam says, "The pandemic has divided the world into two distinct era – Before Covid and After Covid. True, the post-pandemic era has arrived with its own set of problems, however, it has also inflamed the older, unresolved issues. The lockdown supplied equal amount of despair and leisure, propelling me to meditate over those issues even more deeply. The book tries to portray the ironic story of a modern man, who in search of greater freedom, has found himself chained in numerous invisible chains."

The collected essays display the familiar prose-style, which helped establish Gautam as a notable columnist in Nepali newspapers. Some of her pre-published newspaper articles with longer shelf-life have also found their way into the book.