Calcutta, Aug. 10: Taslima Nasreen is now staying at the Delhi home of a former Indian ambassador to Sweden, feeling “more free” with no restrictions on meeting visitors.

Immediately after her return to India, it was thought she was being kept at the suburban safe house in Manesar, where she had spent over four months in virtual house arrest before leaving the country, or at a Swedish official’s home.

The Bangladeshi exile is now breathing a lot easier with the security straitjacket relaxed at her current address, somewhere on Delhi’s hilly outskirts, an associate said.

The associate quoted Taslima as saying: “I feel a lot more free than before.”

Although the author is now allowed to meet anyone she wants, the visitors will not be told the address. Security personnel will take them to the house from wherever they are — even the airport — and drop them back.

Taslima, whose visa expires on August 17, has been verbally assured a six-month extension but is yet to receive the documents, a source said.

The associate said Taslima was eager to return to Calcutta but was a little jittery about possible trouble. She intends to speak to Bengal chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb.

Her brother Faisal Kabir is expected to arrive in Calcutta from Bangladesh this week and leave immediately for Delhi to meet his sister.

One friend Taslima is badly missing is her pet cat Minu, the associate said. The author has arranged for the animal to be brought to her this week.

Taslima had left Calcutta eight months ago, putting Minu in the care of her publisher and friend Sharmila Sengupta. The cat is now with Anil Dutta, another friend of hers, in Birati.