India Gate -- the heart of the city -- became one big partyground. Delhiites, especially the youth, took to the streets as Akram heaved the ball into what looked like the stands, till Anil Kumble came in the way.

``We had got this flag made for the World Cup finals, but now it does not matter. Really, this was our World Cup and we have proved it once again that we are bigger and better in every way that matters,'' said Navin, who had come all the way from Krishna Nagar. With his Maruti, all but covered, with a kingsize flag, and youths spilling out from all four windows, he kept driving up and down Rajpath.

Not to be left behind, a group of Sikhs parked their car right in the middle of the road and burst into bhangra. While one of them insisted on dancing on top of his car, others preferred some ground beneath their feet. The wave of dancing was followed by some firework display and then it was back to boogieing again.

It was hysteria bordering on madness, but no one was complaining. They just kept coming, parking cars every which way they could, till Rajpath was chock-a-block. And for a full 15 minutes, no one demanded the right of passage. They just watched. Everyone of them. And some even joined in. A quarter of an hour later, some families finally got impatient and started honking and inching their way past the revellers.

And like a Hindi film climax, the cops came, late as usual. They were soon swallowed up by the crowds and the dancing.

It was only after a PCR van came, with its siren blaring, that the line of cars started moving. But the boys danced in front of the PCR van. And the policemen, who had been trying to look stern all along, had to finally get out and cajole them into making way. ``You tell us, what should we tell them. They are so excited that we can't even scold them. After all we are also in the same state of delirium,'' admitted a policeman.

After a few minutes of impatient honking, the revellers, themselves became good Samaritans and started directing traffic. And within minutes, happy and tired, they finally left for home.