When you write a travel book, you need to have terrible things happen to you

Tall and aloof, with the stern-ish look on his face punctuated by dark sunglasses, Paul Theroux's presence at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival was significant and noticeable. He was there as a travel writer, novelist, critic and erstwhile protégé of VS Naipaul. He was also the object of my interest, as I sought to interview him.