Indian Accountant In Malta Hasn’t Seen His Wife Since Their Wedding A Year Ago Because Of COVID-19 Lockdowns
When Anshul Chugh and Sakshi met through an online dating app in 2019, it was love at first swipe. The couple had a fairytale wedding in India in February 2020 with Anshul returning to Malta soon after, where he worked as an accountant.
Then, COVID-19 struck, lockdowns ensued, and he’s been left apart from his wife for nearly a year.
“I never thought something like this could happen. I can’t express how I feel, except that I cry every night she isn’t near me,” 30-year-old Chugh told Lovin Malta, on the verge of tears.
Chugh met his 27-year-old wife Sakshi, a hospital nutritionist, through an online matrimony website in September 2019.
“We exchanged numbers and hit it off immediately. That October, I went to India to spend a couple of weeks with her,” he recalled.
He soon proposed and the duo planned their wedding for February 2020.
“I know it might sound rushed for Europeans, but that’s our culture,” the accountant explained.
The Chughs had a traditional Hindu wedding on 25th February last year and a court marriage on 2nd March. Then, Anshul returned to Malta to apply for a visa for his wife to join him in Malta.
That’s when COVID-19 struck and global chaos took over.
“When the coronavirus pandemic hit, India’s borders closed and I couldn’t apply for her visa,” he said.
Anshul even lost his job in March because of the virus and remained unemployed until early Summer.
Seven months since he last saw Sakshi for their wedding celebrations, Anshul managed to apply for a spouse visa in late October. Three months later, he’s still in the dark about the status of his application.
“I haven’t received any feedback since I applied for the visa. I’ve been there several times and they keep turning me away. I don’t know what I should do. But I’m crying every night. I’d never think I’d be away from the love of my life for so long,” he lamented.
Hopefully, Anshul said, he’ll see his wife before their first anniversary next month, and begin to plant their roots in Malta as a married couple.
A spokesperson from the Home Affairs Ministry confirmed that Chugh’s application is processing, but India’s on-going lockdowns due to COVID-19 are the reason for their unfortunate distance.
What do you make of the Chughs’ story? Comment below
READ NEXT: WATCH: 'I'll Let God Judge You', Gay Cancer Survivor Says In Heated Confrontation With Maltese Cult Leaders
