At the French Embassy in Delhi, businessman and author Nidhi Dalmia debuted his second book, “Afternoon.” The novel is set in the late 1960s in Kashmir, Delhi, the San Francisco Bay Area, and New York. It chronicles the lives of two ladies, a young student, and how their friendship changes over time.

Kabir Bedi, a well-known actor and celebrity, moderated the launch. Patricia A. Lacina, Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy; Christian Kamill, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden; Sarah Storey, Deputy High Commissioner, Australia; Jukka Holappa, Embassy of Finland.

In addition to RV Kanoria, former president of FICCI and chairman of Kanoria Chemicals, Martine A. Bottheim, deputy chief of mission at the Norwegian embassy, Gurcharan Das, author, commentator, and public intellectual, and Martine A. Bottheim, former MD of Procter & Gamble (India), were also in attendance.
The protagonists in “Afternoon” deftly weave themselves into the fabric of the 1960s’ seismic intellectual, sexual, student, and cultural changes. The book examines the deep influence of the explosion of exquisite and timeless music on the lives of its characters against the backdrop of significant political events of the time.

In the book, the characters provide a beautiful window into the intensity of love and longing in the swinging 1960s. “Afternoon is a story about love,” Nidhi Dalmia stated during the launch. Nothing is more significant than love, and when it exists, life is lived more passionately and each moment is treasured. But nothing in life or even love is guaranteed. The novel mixes the words of the cultural, sexual, and student revolutions in Paris, Berkeley, Warsaw, Tokyo, and even here in Delhi to tell the story of significant change in the world. The book also captures the idealistic optimism of the 1960s, when people believed that the world would never end. The storyline of the book incorporates rivalry, competition, and the inescapable conflict.

The storyline in the book incorporates rivalry, competition, and the inescapable conflict. The fundamental themes of this compelling tale are the choices made in cross-continental relationships and the conviction that nothing is more essential than love.