She was introduced to Rajiv by a mutual friend and from then on their friendship blossomed, recalled Sonia. Screengrab: @SoniaGandhi
‘His gentleness touched me’: Sonia recalls first meeting with Rajiv
From a chance meeting over a meal in England to the early days of their romance, Sonia shares personal memories of Rajiv in a video introducing her upcoming memoir
They first met at a small Greek restaurant in England, and his gentle manner immediately struck a chord with her. This is how Sonia Gandhi described her first meeting with Rajiv Gandhi, then a fellow student.
She fondly recalled the memories in a video introducing her upcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. The Congress leader shared the video in her debut post on X.
“And then we discovered this place. It was a Greek restaurant where many students, especially European students, but also Indian students used to go for their meals,” she said, recalling how she had searched for Italian food before finding the restaurant.
The first meeting
A mutual friend introduced them, and from then on their friendship blossomed. It soon led to friendship, outings and parties with other students. Sonia said she felt drawn to Rajiv almost at once.
“And that is then where I met Rajiv in that very restaurant. 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.
They began spending time together, attending social gatherings and visiting places with friends. One occasion she remembered was a Valentine's party attended by a large group of students.
“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 recalled.
Rajiv's gentleness left a lasting impression
His appearance caught her eye, but his temperament stayed with her. “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.
Also Read: Sonia Gandhi joins Instagram, unveils first look at memoir
Sonia married Rajiv on February 25, 1968. Her upcoming memoir traces her life from childhood in post-war Italy to her move to India, her marriage and the personal losses that shaped her life.
Memoir traces love, duty and loss
The memoir's first look was shared on Instagram on Thursday (October 22), when Sonia posted her first video on the platform.
Also Read: Sonia's Memoir BELONGING likely to delve into life beyond Gandhis, politics
“Hello everyone, I’m truly grateful to share this moment with you all; the first look of Belonging: A Journey of Love,” she wrote.
“It is a story of love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong. I look forward to sharing it with you,” the post read.