Vijender Singh managed to get away in a hurry, spirited away in a flash by Abhay Singh Chautala, the president of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation, but Sushil Kumar had a much tougher time in store.

The distance between his waiting car and the door was barely a few feet, but stern admonitions to his wrestling friends simply did not work. They were determined to tell their hero exactly how proud he had made them. Eventually, he was carried to his car on a mass of hazardously shifting shoulders — his face betraying more trepidation than in his final repechage round in Beijing.

India’s Olympic heroes returned last night to crazy scenes at the Indira Gandhi International Airport late on Monday night and even the security personnel present — it’s unlikely being a fan was part of their job description — were just as swept away by the grand scale of celebrations as Vijender and Sushil themselves.

Normally a place of high-risk security measures with no place even for a hair out of place, Monday night saw the airport disappear under a swarm of drumbeats and bunches of dancing children. The cops themselves could be seen eagerly asking camera-toting mediamen for the finer details of these medal-winners’ feats, even as the latter struggled to arrange their equipment at precariously positioned vantage points. The endless stream of relatives, friends, and those simply wanting to bask in the glory of India’s new-found Olympic success had its starting point a few miles before the ceremonial lounge — a Haryana dairy van plastered with posters proclaiming the greatness of Vijender and Sushil; energy-enthused groups of friends who looked as though they would gladly have walked from Bhiwani or Baaprola to be part of the reception party; and a predictable posse of ministers in their VIP vehicles, enthusiastic enough to interrupt a good night’s sleep to be at the airport.

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