CHENNAI: The last couple of months have been most challenging for Viswanathan Anand and his family here. While the five-time former world champion has been stranded in Germany since the end of February, when he went to feature in the Bundesliga chess tournament, his wife and son have had to deal with his absence. With the government of India planning to facilitate the return of Indians stuck abroad in a phased manner, Aruna is hopeful that Anand will return soon. "Anand is in touch with the Indian embassy in Frankfurt, but at present they don't have any concrete instruction as to when flights from Germany will be arranged. The embassy is aware that Anand is stranded there. I guess the evacuation is happening in a phased manner. It is a very large operation and you just have to wait for your turn. We hope to see him back soon," she told TOI on Wednesday. The MHA had said earlier in a statement: "Indian Embassies and High Commissions are preparing a list of distressed Indian citizens. The travel would begin in a phased manner from May 7." Aruna believes Anand's absence has been felt most by their son Akhil. "It has been a tough time for the family. With Anand not there, Akhil has found it difficult to manage. They both spend quality time whenever Anand is home. They stay in touch via video calls but Akhil misses his father's physical presence. The lockdown restrictions mean he can't even go out and it makes it doubly hard for Akhil," revealed Aruna. The time away from family hasn't stopped Anand from doing his bit for the Covid-19 victims. He raised money for the PM Cares Fund and is currently leading the Indian team in the FIDE Online Nations Cup.

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Wife hopes for 'stranded' Anand's early return from Germany - Times of India