मैदारो

विभेदले कोरेको समाजको अनुहार-चित्र कस्तो हुन्छ?  कस्तो हुन्छ दलनको रङ ? प्रताडनामा बाँचेको जीवनले कस्तो देख्छ भविष्य ? कसरी बिब्ल्याँटोमा पर्छ दलित जीवन ? यी र यस्तै प्रश्नहरुको जवाफको खोजी हो, मैदारो ! आञ्चलिकताको फ्रेम र इतिहासदेखिको वन्चनाको क्यानभासमा पोतिएको यो आख्यान केवल पीडा र दमनको आलो कथामात्र होइन, सङ्घर्ष र निरन्तर प्रतिरोधको बयान पनि हो।

सस्पेन्स र चामत्कारिक शैलीमा सामाजिक यथार्थलाई बुन्न प्रयोग गरिएको काल्पनिक उडान र शिल्पका लागि यो उपन्यास सदा सम्झिइनेछ।

"Set in a fictional village of Andheri Gaau, Bhupeen’s debut novel, Maidaro, is a story of an artist who’s been victimised by caste-based discrimination to such an extent that he is forced to choose the sweet embrace of death rather than the harsh realities of life.

Nadin’s story unfolds in a non-linear way. By writing an aphoristic note that reads as—“O life, forgive me, for I’ve chosen the path of suicide!” (my translation)—he jumps off the Patebhir, but as fate would have it, he survives. Oscillating between life and death, he then mulls on his existence for the next several months (or a few years). As he keeps contemplating all things in heaven and earth, Amrit, Nadin’s younger brother, tells the tragic story to Smaran. In the succeeding chapters, we are thrust back and forth between multiple narratives. As readers, we get to know about the childhood of the protagonist, how he fell in love with an upper-class girl, and how marrying her made him a social outcast. Yet, all through this, he keeps following where his heart lies—painting. The narrative revolves around the ways in which the child protagonist grows up into a creative artist.

Written in Baglung lingo, the greatest strength of Maidaro is its narrative flow. Rich in metaphors, imagery, and folklore, the novel is quite gripping.

Maidaro is a beautiful story of an artist that touches the heart at its core. The readers might as well shed a tear or two along the way".
- Bibek Adhikari, The KTM Post, 18 January 2020