Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, has shared the story of how she fell in love with former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In her first-ever post on the social media platform X, she shared a video revealing that their romance began in 1965 at a small Greek restaurant in Cambridge, England. Ahead of the November 10th release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, she has shared personal memories from her life. The video features vintage photographs and recounts the early days of her relationship with Rajiv Gandhi. This was reported by NDTV Online.
Sonia says, “My journey of love began in a small Greek restaurant in Cambridge. Rajiv and I built a world filled with love, laughter, and memories. On November 10th, I will share that world with you.”
Reflecting on their first meeting at that Greek restaurant in Cambridge in 1965, Sonia also explained what drew her to Rajiv Gandhi. With a smile, she remarks, “Of course, he was very handsome.” She also recalls how difficult it was to find good food in England at that time, noting that there were relatively few restaurants. After searching, she eventually discovered a Greek restaurant frequented by Indian and Italian students—the very place where their relationship began. Sonia says, “That is where I met Rajiv—in that very restaurant. From the moment we first met, I felt almost instantly that this was someone I truly wanted to be with. I later learned that he felt the same way.”
Recalling their initial introduction, she adds, “A mutual friend introduced us, and from there, we became friends.” “I used to attend various events with friends.” Speaking about Rajiv Gandhi’s personality, Sonia particularly praised his gentle nature. She noted that this quality of his touched her deeply from the very first meeting. “He struck me as a person with a very gentle nature,” Sonia recalled. “Of course, he was very handsome, but that gentleness was clearly evident. It truly touched me—it moved me deeply. I will never forget the moment I first met him.”
With her first post on X, Sonia Gandhi has begun her journey on this social media platform. Prior to this, on Thursday, she also joined Instagram, where she expressed her gratitude for being able to share a first glimpse of her upcoming memoir with her readers. In her inaugural Instagram post, Sonia wrote, “Welcome, everyone. I am truly grateful to share this moment with you all—a first look at my book, Belonging: A Journey of Love. It is a story of love, duty, the pain of loss, and the search for a place to call one’s own. I look forward to sharing this with you.”
A video shared on Instagram shows Sonia Gandhi holding the first few copies of her book. In the footage, she shares sweets with her daughter, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and the two are also seen embracing. The book is scheduled for release on November 10th, and pre-orders are already underway. It is being published internationally by Alfred A. Knopf, while HarperCollins India is handling its publication in India. Spanning 544 pages, the memoir details Sonia Gandhi’s childhood in post-war Italy, her meeting with Rajiv Gandhi, and the relationship that followed. The book also covers the profound personal grief and tragedies she has faced, most notably the assassinations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The memoir also details how these events in his personal life transformed him, and how his subsequent role in Indian politics took shape.
