Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi recently shared a heartfelt memory of her first encounter with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. She recounted the moment in a post on X ahead of the launch of her memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ on 10 November.
Meeting at a Greek Restaurant
Sonia described how the journey of her love story with Rajiv began in a small Greek restaurant called Varsity Restaurant in Cambridge, England. She was initially looking for a place serving food closer to her taste, especially Italian cuisine, when she discovered the Greek eatery popular among European and Indian students.
“And so, 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,” Sonia recalled.
A Mutual Connection
A mutual friend introduced Sonia to Rajiv in that restaurant, and she felt an immediate connection. “When I first met him, I felt almost immediately that he was someone I would really love to be with. And, of course, I learned that it was the same for him,” she said.
She was also struck by his gentleness. “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,” Sonia added.
Growing Closer
Following their meeting, Sonia and Rajiv became friends who socialized together with other students, attending parties and sightseeing. “Then, you know, we became friends. Then going to parties with friends or going to see sights or we went to a Valentine’s party where there were lots of students,” she said.
Memoir and Controversy
Sonia and Rajiv married on 25 February 1968. Her upcoming memoir traces her life from her childhood in post-war Italy to her romance, move to India, and the personal losses she experienced.
In her debut post on social media, Sonia described the memoir as “a story of love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong.” The book’s release follows a publishing controversy involving Penguin Random House India regarding sensitive passages about political figures and events.
Ultimately, the book was picked up by HarperCollins India and is set to release on 10 November.
