Crowds gathered to welcome her, hoardings bearing her photographs dotted the streets and was followed by celebratory rally the next morning.

For the shy 17-year-old archer, who prefers letting her arrows do the talking, the sudden attention was overwhelming.

"Initially, there was some nervousness. I had never faced this much media attention or met so many people before. But now, it feels really good. It's a very proud feeling," Kumkum said during an interaction facilitated by Sports Authority of India.

The celebrations were deserved as the teenager conquered the formidable South Koreans, not once but twice, to claim two historic recurve gold medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

First came the women's team triumph alongside Ankita Bhakat and Kirti Sharma and then Kumkum defeated Oh Yejin in the individual final, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve medal at the Games. A mixed team silver with Dhiraj Bommadevara completed a remarkable three-peat.

And while South Korea's reputation has long intimidated opponents, Kumkum learnt to treat the archer across the shooting line as just another competitor.

"I don't look at who the opponent is. People often build up the Koreans, but I told myself before the match: 'She needs to shoot a 10, and I need to shoot a 10'," recalled Kumkum.

That composure did not mean she was immune to pressure. With the individual final tied 5-5, Oh shot an eight in the deciding shoot-off but Kumkum held to her nerve well to deliver a perfect 10.

"I worked on calming myself down and told myself, 'whatever happens, just release your arrow smoothly.' I didn't think about the outcome or dwell on the fact that a gold medal hung on that single arrow," she said.

In contrast, Kumkum's journey began far removed from the sophistication of international archery.

Growing up in a financially constrained household in Maharashtra, where her father makes cardboard boxes, she first learnt the sport with an inexpensive wooden bow bought with her grandmother's help.

Her father initially worried about the financial burden of a sport where equipment could cost lakhs but eventually rallied behind her ambitions.

Now after the prodigious success, Kumkum now finds herself carrying enormous expectations, particularly with India still awaiting their first Olympic archery medal.

Her success has secured the country a women's individual recurve quota for Los Angeles 2028, although Kumkum must earn her own selection.

While the prospect of ending India's Olympic medal drought looks a little less distant, it is worth remembering that Kumkum is still only 17, with much of her journey yet to unfold.