When Sonia met Rajiv: Congress leader narrates her 1st meeting with husband in X debut

Sonia Gandhi makes X debut, recalls first meeting with Rajiv Gandhi ahead of book launch

NEW DELHI: Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi made her debut on social media platform X on Saturday, sharing a video in which she recalled her first meeting with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and offered a glimpse of her upcoming book, Belonging: A Journey of Love.The book, Sonia Gandhi's first, is scheduled to be launched on November 10. It recounts her personal journey, including her memories with Rajiv Gandhi and experiences from her younger days to the present.In the nearly two-minute video accompanying her first post on X, Sonia Gandhi recalled meeting Rajiv Gandhi at the Varsity Restaurant, a Greek eatery in Cambridge, England, where they were students.The video featured photographs of the couple and the restaurant where they first met.

"In a small Greek restaurant in Cambridge, my journey of love began. Rajiv and I created a world filled with love, laughter and memories. On 10th November, I share that world with you," she wrote in her post.

Sonia Gandhi recalls meeting Rajiv Gandhi in Cambridge

Speaking in the video, the Congress MP recalled looking for Italian food while living in England, where she said the food available at the time did not suit her preferences."Food in England in those days was awful. In those days, you didn't have so many restaurants, you know, like you have today," she said.

She explained that she was looking for a place serving food closer to what she was accustomed to, particularly Italian cuisine, when she discovered the Greek restaurant."And then, we discovered this place (Varsity Restaurant). It was a Greek restaurant where many European students, but also Indian students, used to go for their meals. And that is then where I met Rajiv in that very restaurant," she said.Recalling her first impression of Rajiv Gandhi, she said she felt almost immediately that he was someone she would want to spend her life with."When I first met him, I felt almost immediately that you know he was someone I would really love to be with. And, of course, I learned that it was the same for him," she said.Sonia Gandhi also recalled that a common friend introduced them. The two subsequently became friends and began attending parties with other students and visiting places together."I remember when I first met him, a friend, a common friend, introduced us.

Then, you know, we became friends. Then going to parties with friends, or going to see sights, or… We went to a Valentine party where there were lots of students," she said.Describing what stood out to her about Rajiv Gandhi, she said his gentle nature had left a lasting impression."He was a very gentle-looking person. Of course, he was very good-looking. But that gentleness came through. So that was something which really touched me and struck me.

So that, of course, I'll never forget when I first met him," she said.Sonia married Rajiv Gandhi on February 25, 1968.

Upcoming memoir traces her personal journey

The upcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, explores Sonia Gandhi's life, from her childhood in post-war Italy and her romance with Rajiv Gandhi to her move to India and the personal losses that shaped her life and relationship with her adopted country.Her debut on X comes two days after she joined Instagram on Thursday and shared a video offering a first look at the book.

In her first Instagram post, she expressed gratitude at being able to share the preview with readers and described the memoir as a story of love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong."I look forward to sharing it with you," she wrote in the post.