Kalam’s new home and (right) the numberplate outside. Picture by Prem Singh

New Delhi, Dec. 18: The spring is back in A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s steps as he hits the lawns each morning at his new address: a two-storey house on 10 Rajaji Marg.

“It was not possible for him to walk around in the army accommodation (where he had been putting up so far). It was much too small,” said an aide, happy that Kalam had been able to resume his morning walk after three months.

While Rajaji Marg might not quite be Rashtrapati Bhavan with its manicured lawns and lush gardens, the new address affords him the opportunity to live life the way he always has. That means getting up at 6.30am, going for his morning walk and sipping tea — he prefers leaves to dust.

The house was allotted on July 6 and the shift planned around Diwali but hectic travel schedules kept Kalam out of Delhi. He finally moved in only last week.

However, a lot still has to fall into place. That includes the brass nameplate at the gate and the books bundled into cardboard boxes that are lying unopened in the library.

The place is good enough for visitors, though. Last Saturday, Singapore President Sellapan Ramanathan dropped in to meet Kalam.