Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s parents-in-law R.K. Singh and Sheila return to their Alipore apartment on Sunday. Picture by Amit Datta

They had left town unnoticed 25 days ago as the parents of a bride-to-be, they returned on Sunday to start a new innings as the parents of the girl who married the country’s most eligible cricket bachelor.

“We are too tired,” said R.K Singh to a flurry of flashbulbs that followed him and wife Sheila right till the lobby of their apartment building at 10B Burdwan Road in Alipore.

Did they mean tired of the attention? No, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s parents-in-law wouldn’t be drawn into playing a false shot.

As the duo walked through the lobby of Sundaram apartments with Sheila holding her husband’s arm, only the smiles on their faces spoke.

Surely they would have something to say about dear daughter Sakshi marrying one of the country’s dearest cricketers? “It feels great to have Dhoni as our son-in-law,” was all that Singh, a senior tea industry professional, would tell Metro.

And how have they found Mahi to be off the field? “He is very humble and down to earth,” signed off Sheila, disappearing behind the door.

Neighbours of the Singhs at 10B Burdwan Road were apparently unaware of their return until sweets from the wedding reached them in the afternoon.

“We congratulated them and asked about Sakshi and Dhoni. We were told that the newlywed couple is doing fine…We are really happy for Sakshi,” said Sarda Kajaria, a second-floor resident of Sundaram apartment.

A source close to the family said the Singhs would host a reception for family and friends after Mr and Mrs MSD return from Sri Lanka, where Team India is scheduled to play three Tests and a triangular ODI series with New Zealand and the hosts.

“But it is too early to talk about the venue…It will be either Calcutta or Dehra Dun,” said the source.

According to the source, the Singhs did not get much time to interact with their Assam-born daughter and son-in-law after the wedding in Dehra Dun because of Dhoni’s busy schedule.

“There was time enough only for tears and bye-byes,” she said.

Sakshi, who was introduced to Dhoni during her internship with Taj Bengal, would of course be a frequent visitor to the city, the source said.

She and Dhoni had made a hurricane trip to the city earlier this week en route to Chennai but they did not visit Sundaram apartments. The couple reached Colombo on Saturday to join Dhoni’s team-mates, who had reached a couple of days earlier.