CONGRESS PARLIAMENTARY PARTY CHAIRPERSON SONIA GANDHI shared a video on Saturday, October 24, 2026, talking about her upcoming memoir titled Belonging: A Journey of Love on X. The video has gained widespread attention after the Congress leader shared a personal story about her first meeting with her late husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (1944-1991), at a small Greek restaurant in 1965. The post on X has garnered over three million views, marking Sonia Gandhi’s debut on the platform.

Before she became a Gandhi, she was Sonia Maino, the daughter of an Italian housebuilder. She was born in 1946 to Stefano and Paola Maino in Lusiana, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. She was raised in a traditional Roman Catholic family alongside her siblings and was just 18 years old when she met Rajiv Gandhi, who would later become the Prime Minister of India.

Sonia Gandhi recalled some personal chapters of her life in her upcoming memoir and shared how she knew, from their very first meeting, that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Rajiv Gandhi.

See Also: Wonder What’s The Story Behind the Cover Photo of Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir? Journo Rajdeep Sardesai Reveals It Was Clicked By None Other Than Her Husband Rajiv Gandhi

How Did Sonia Maino and Rajiv Gandhi Meet?

In the video posted on her official X account, Sonia recalled that her search for Italian food in England led to her meeting Rajiv Gandhi. She remembered how the food in England was “awful” and added that she was constantly searching for a place where she could find food to her liking, which she eventually discovered.

“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. And that is then where I met Rajiv in that very restaurant,” said Sonia. According to reports, the restaurant she mentioned in the video was known as the Varsity and was located on St Andrew’s Street. However, it is no longer operational, NDTV reported.

She shared how she felt about meeting Rajiv Gandhi for the first time. The Congress leader said, “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.”

See also: The Bofors Scandal: How V. P. Singh’s Resignation Shattered Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s ‘Mr Clean’ Image

A mutual friend introduced them, and from there, they embarked on a journey of friendship. She added that they later attended parties with their friends. Sonia Gandhi recalled, “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.”

Referring to Rajiv Gandhi as a “gentle-looking person,” she shared that it was his gentleness that touched her heart. “Of course, he was very good-looking, but that gentleness came through. So that was something which really touched me and struck me,” said the Congress leader.

She also emphasized that she would never forget the moment she first met Rajiv Gandhi. Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi married in 1968, just three years after meeting each other. The couple had two children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. Three years later, in 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated when a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) detonated an RDX-laced belt while greeting him in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, where he was addressing a rally.

Sonia Gandhi shared her first meeting with Rajiv Gandhi in an X post with the caption, “In a small Greek restaurant in Cambridge, my journey of love began.” Talking about the world of love, laughter, and memories she created with Rajiv, the post read, “On 10th November, I share that world with you.”

She also made her debut on X on October 22, 2026, where she introduced her upcoming memoir and shared images of its cover. The autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, will be released on November 10, 2026.

FAQs

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

_[Rh/VS/HP]

Suggested Reading: