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The neighbours of A P J Abdul Kalam are happy, but said they would miss the man who touched their lives with his spartan simplicity, frankness and friendliness.
"He is not only a VIP but also a very special person. We will definitely miss him, as from tomorrow we may not be able to speak to him. But we are proud that one of us has gone on to become the first citizen of the country," said K M Bansal and Anita Bansal, who stay in the building adjacent to Kalam's residence at the DRDO guesthouse in Delhi at the Asiad Games village complex.
"It is our good fortune that we could serve a man who was so much like a living god to us. Though he is a great scientist and was holding an important post, he is so humble and treated us like his children," said 22-year-old Hira, Kalam's personal attendant for the last three years.
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