Nikhil Chandavarkar

The Third Force Nikhil Chandavarkar

Set in an alternative history line, The Third Force, follows the adventures of Dinesh, a young diplomat representing his newly-independent country. After the second global war, when smaller countries are pressured to chose between allying with either the Western or Eastern superpower, one group of bold leaders decide to band their countries together as an independent 'Third Force', not to challenge or compete with the two blocs, but to chart independently their countries' paths without submitting to any geopolitical overlords. Deeply committed to helping these leaders as they weave together the Third Force, Dinesh must balance his personal life and relationships which often conflict with and hinder his professional goals. As he moves from country to country working with the leaders of the Third Force, Dinesh realizes how fragmented his personal life and relationships have become as a result. Is such a fragmented life the price he must pay for his chosen profession, he wonders, or is there a way to bring together the many pieces of his life that he has left along the way. Three women are his companions along his journey: the archeologist Kerstin, the former wartime partisan captain, Lydica, and his compatriot, Tanuja, whom he weds in an arranged marriage. The challenges that Dinesh faces and the choices that he eventually makes echo the predicament of many today who have chosen the path of expatriate living in a globalized world.