Sonia Gandhi debuts on X with memories of Rajiv Gandhi in Cambridge

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi made her debut on social media platform X, sharing a video in which she recalled her first meeting with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at a Cambridge restaurant.

The post serves as a preview for her forthcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, which is scheduled for publication on 10 November. Accompanying the video, Sonia Gandhi wrote that her journey of love began in a small Greek eatery, where she and Rajiv Gandhi built a world of love, laughter, and memories.

What Sonia Gandhi shared about meeting Rajiv Gandhi

In the nearly two-minute video, Sonia Gandhi recounted looking for food in England during the mid-1960s that was closer to what she was accustomed to eating in Italy.

"Food in England in those days was awful," she said in the video, explaining that options were limited compared to today. Her search for familiar meals led her to the Varsity Restaurant, a Greek eatery in Cambridge frequented by both European and Indian students.

It was at the Varsity Restaurant that a mutual friend introduced her to Rajiv Gandhi. She described feeling an immediate connection during that initial encounter.

"When I first met him, I felt almost immediately that he was someone I would really love to be with," Sonia Gandhi said, adding that she later learned he felt the same way. She noted that while Rajiv Gandhi was very good-looking, it was his gentleness that left a lasting impression on her.

The video combines her recollections with archival photographs showing the couple, student gatherings, sightseeing trips, and a Valentine's Day party they attended together during their university days in Cambridge.

When is Sonia Gandhi's memoir releasing

The upcoming book, titled Belonging: A Journey of Love, is set to be released on 10 November. It marks Sonia Gandhi's first memoir and traces her personal story from her childhood in post-war Italy to her move to India, her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi in 1968, and the personal losses that followed.

Her debut on X follows her recent launch on Instagram, where she previously posted a short preview video describing the memoir as a reflection on love, duty, loss, and belonging. Congress leader Pawan Khera reacted to her social media debut, describing Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi's life together as a story of enduring commitment.