How much of my fifteen minutes have I used up already?

This week I have been mostly posing for pictures as the pre-book media builds up. It's really quite cool, this 'being famous' thing, except I'm still all overwhelmed and taken aback and all, 'Really? You want to talk to me? Really?' So far, we have done HT Delhi, Elle, Tehelka and an email interview for the Asian College of Journalism. I'm feeling most la-di-da and celebrity like, so much so, that last night, when I was invited to a birthday party at Olive, I put on my fancy-with-a-belt slutty secretary Mango dress and added a string of pearls. I was that chick, dudes. The one who wears pearls. And says presumably. And the whole while I was in the rickshaw, I felt like a little girl all dressed up for a costume party, so I took off the pearls because I kept thinking someone was going to call me on them, going, "Why are you looking so dressed up?" Or, "Why are you pretending to be grown up?" But when I entered, I counted THREE strands of pearls on other people's necks so I very happily pulled mine out of my bag and put it on. The rest of the evening I spent periodically putting my hand up to my neck to see whether they had fallen off.

I should really wear my pearls more often.

But other than that being famous doesn't really feel very different from not being famous. It's all very exciting yes, but no one stops you in the street and asks for your autograph or anything. And your friends roll their eyes when an acquaintance comes up to you and says they saw you in something or the other. And I'm getting good at answering questions. I even use words like 'umbrage'! Also, I now know the frequently asked questions down pat: a) do you feel uncomfortable putting your personal life up on the internet? and b) How much of Sex And The City/Bridget Jones/whatever is your writing influence?

I go off to Delhi on the 15th (yay!) to stay till the 24th. Launch is on the 22nd at Agni in the Park Hotel, so please come if you're in the city. It should be a fun do, hopefully someone will keep away the alco till after I'm done talking because when I'm nervous I drink faster and then I will be at the mic going, "Woooooooohooooooooooo, writing a book totally ROCKS and I lurve you ALLL!" It won't do wonders for my image, no. Before you ask, the Bombay launch will be at the end of the month and other cities haven't been confirmed yet.

And I have learnt two new things. 1) I can actually look good in pictures even if my hair's not straight and 2) Undone eyebrows are in! (True story, I got it from an excellent source, which means no more pain. Now if only hairy legs were in, I'd be a happy camper.)