Back down to earth

In Pune, a thousand people were waiting for me at the bookstore which made another long drive worthwhile. The signing session went on for more than 2 hours so I didn't get to bed until after midnight. The next morning I visited Osho Ashram where people come to meditate. The 28 acre site is an oasis in a jungle of people, but I confess, although they could not have been kinder to me, I was glad to return to the real world. I was later taken into town to visit Jayesh, a silversmith (his store is called Dolphin) whose work I found quite outstanding. I ended up buying several pieces of his finely crafted work before going on to the airport for my flight to Bangalore.

Arrived at the airport to find one of the Twenty20 teams, the Bangalore Royal Challengers, were on their way to play their next game. Martin Crowe, the former captain of New Zealand, is the manager of the team, and as he played for Somerset for many years he came across to have a chat. He took me across to see Rahul Dravid who I'd recently had dinner with in London. He in turn introduced me to India's captain, Anil Kumble. Mr Kumble stared at me in a blank way and then took out his mobile phone and began dialling a number. When the call was answered, he said, "He's standing in front of me," and then passing the phone to me, said, "would you be kind enough to have a word with my wife, she's a huge fan." I had a chat to Mrs Kumble, who seemed to have read every word I've ever written, and we agreed that when they were both next in London I'd take them out to lunch. The striking thing about both Dravid and Kumble is not their filmstar looks, but their quiet dignity in the face of a vast crowd trying to touch them. I left them, wondering how England were doing...not very well, my minder told me; we were over 100 runs short after the first innings total and at one point looking like we might even have to follow on.

I'd already received warnings by email that Bangalore was determined to out-do Mumbai, and I confess that when I arrived I was lost for words. The crowd had already spilled out onto the pavement and the bookshop had over 1500 people waiting inside. The welcome was incredible, and The Times of India the next day described it as a rock concert, with people swaying in the aisles. I was surprised and delighted to find Mr R K Laxman, the great Indian cartoonist (The Times of India) sitting in the front row with his wife. Mr Laxman is of course the brother of R K Narayan, who has kept me glued to the page for the past week, and he was gracious and generous, giving me a coffee table book of his work which I shall take back to Cambridge. After my talk, during Q&A a lady asked me why I bothered to come to India when the book was already No.1 and had been for the past 10 weeks. I replied that if she was an author, flew to London and then they took her out to Romford to find 1,500 waiting in a WHSmith, I guess she'd want to make the trip. I signed 794 books and was so exhausted I was almost carried out of the building. A night I will not forget for the rest of my life.

I slept until 8 the next morning, and was just about ready for my first interview at 10am - the first of five interviews before departing for Chennai, which of course as a schoolchild I remember as Madras. The routine is now falling into place; interviews, followed by lunch, followed by the airport, new hotel, then talk and signing. People in Chennai are as warm and friendly as in every city, and once again they spilled out of the room and onto the pavement. When I arrived back in the hotel, Landmark had kindly lined up a small dinner party for me, and I was able to discuss with senior members of the team my plans for the next book. They invited me to return next year to open their brand new Landmark bookstore in Calcutta, and also visit Hyderabad which couldn't be fitted in on this trip. They've already had requests for me to return to Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, and are currently working on a new programme for this time next year. As my new book, Paths of Glory, (probably to be published in March next year), is the story of an Englishman who visits India three times, they were particularly keen to take advantage of the fact that it will be my first novel where India gets more than a passing mention. I have no idea how all this will work out, but will keep you informed.

On Sunday, I did 8 interviews before taking a break to watch the England v New Zealand match on tv in my hotel. We're in real trouble, and I can't see a way out. Indeed, several Indians took the opportunity to point out that I would arrive back in England just in time to see us thrashed by the New Zealanders. In the evening, Landmark laid on what they described as a select dinner for a few friends and supporters that numbered a mere 300. Among them, that wonderful tennis player and charming man, Vijay Amritraj, but the cameras really started flashing when the Bollywood star Shriya Saran came up to have her book signed. Shriya then dashed off as she had to be on set at 5am the next morning, which made me feel a little guilty about any suggestion that I'd been experiencing tough hours.

Only had 4 hours sleep because of an early flight back to London the following morning. I groaned when I heard it would be a 10 hour journey, but can't complain because I fell asleep and didn't wake for 6 hours. Although I was looking forward to returning to my homeland and getting back to work on the new book, the last 10 days has been among the most exciting and worthwhile in my life. It's been a great privilege to see a little of India and to be given such a warm and friendly welcome wherever I went. I have no doubt that I will be returning again. When I arrived back in London, it was raining and a driver was waiting for me with a card saying 'Archer'. No rock star welcome here.

One thing I truly miss when I'm away is the theatre, and I immediately booked to see That Face at the Duke of York's. That evening I parked my car on a single yellow line by the side of a goods entrance. As I was locking the door, a large vehicle came out of the entrance, so it was clear it wasn't in any one's way. I went off to see the show - which has received wonderful reviews, although perhaps the story of a disfunctional family was not what I needed on my return from India. When I came out (it was still raining) my mini was gone. It had been towed away. I must be back in England.