Sonia and Rajiv: A Love Story Beyond Borders

The Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday shared a video on social media recalling how her love with Rajiv Gandhi started in a small Greek restaurant in Cambridge in 1965 and how it became a world filled with love, laughter and memories.

In her debut post on X, Sonia Gandhi spoke about her personal memories with Rajiv Gandhi in the upcoming memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, which is scheduled to be released on November 10.

Recalling their first meeting at the Greek restaurant in Cambridge, Sonia spoke about Rajiv Gandhi and the qualities that attracted her to him.

“Of course he was very good-looking,” she said.

Recalling the problems of finding good food in England during those days, she said that restaurants were relatively few and that she eventually discovered a Greek restaurant frequented by Indian and Italian students, and the restaurant became the setting for the beginning of their relationship.

“ When I first met him, almost immediately I felt that he was someone whom I would love to be with. And of course, I learned out he felt the same. I remember when I first met him, a common friend introduced us and then we became friends. We used to go to parties with friends,” Sonia recalled.

Rajiv Gandhi’s personality and his gentle nature, she said, had left a lasting impression on her from the very beginning.

“He was a very gentle-looking person. Of course he was very good-looking, but that gentleness came through. That was something that really touched me and struck me. I’ll never forget when I first met him,” she added.

Earlier on Thursday, she also joined Instagram, where she shared a message introducing her forthcoming memoir and expressing gratitude for being able to present its first look to readers.

In the video shared on Instagram, Sonia Gandhi is seen receiving the first copies of her book and sharing sweets with her daughter and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The two were also seen hugging.

The 544-page book traces Sonia Gandhi’s journey from her childhood in post-war Italy to her meeting and eventual relationship with Rajiv Gandhi. It also chronicles the personal tragedies that shaped her life, including the assassinations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and explores her subsequent role in Indian politics.