Sonia Gandhi Makes X Debut, Shares Love Story With Rajiv Gandhi Ahead Of Memoir Release

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News india Sonia Gandhi Makes X Debut, Shares Love Story With Rajiv Gandhi Ahead Of Memoir Release

Last Updated:October 24, 2026, 11:31 IST

In her first post on X, Sonia Gandhi recalled meeting Rajiv Gandhi at a Greek restaurant in Cambridge and revealed what first drew her to him.

India's opposition Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi. (AP Photo/File)

India's opposition Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi. (AP Photo/File)

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi made her debut on social media platform X on Saturday, sharing a video in which she revisited her love story with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and recalled their first meeting at a Greek restaurant in Cambridge.

The video, shared ahead of the November 10 release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, offers a glimpse into her early relationship with Rajiv Gandhi, including what first attracted her to him and how their friendship developed.

“In a small Greek restaurant in Cambridge my journey of love began," Sonia Gandhi wrote in her first post on X.

“Rajiv and I created a world filled with love, laughter and memories. On 10th November, I share that world with you," she added.

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. https://t.co/zvN5Rqqstf

— Sonia Gandhi (@SoniaGandhi) October 24, 2026

Sonia Gandhi Recalls First Meeting With Rajiv Gandhi

In the video, Sonia Gandhi is seen looking through old photographs as she recalls her student days in England and the circumstances that led to her first meeting with Rajiv Gandhi.

She said food in England was very different at the time, prompting her to search for restaurants serving meals closer to the Italian food she was accustomed to.

“Food in England was awful in those days. You didn’t have so many restaurants, you know, like you have today," she recalled.

Her search eventually led her to a Greek restaurant popular among European and Indian students in Cambridge.

“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," she said.

Recalling her first impression of Rajiv Gandhi, she said she felt an immediate connection.

“When I first met him, I felt almost immediately that, you know, it 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 mutual friend had introduced them, after which they began spending time together, attending parties and socialising with other students.

She remembered attending a Valentine’s Day party with Rajiv Gandhi and their friends.

Describing what first attracted her to him, she said Rajiv Gandhi was good-looking but that it was his gentle nature that particularly stood out.

“He was a very gentle-looking person. Of course he was very good-looking, but that gentleness came through," she said.

The couple married in 1968. Rajiv Gandhi later served as India’s Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989 before his assassination in May 1991.

Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir To Release On November 10

Sonia Gandhi’s X debut comes just two days after she joined Instagram on October 22, when she shared the first look at her upcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love.

The book traces her journey from her childhood in Italy to her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family, her years with Rajiv Gandhi and her eventual entry into Indian politics.

It also explores major personal and political events in her life, including the assassinations of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and her years as Congress president.

The memoir is scheduled for release on November 10.

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Sonia Gandhi's memoir is titled Belonging: A Journey of Love and is scheduled for release on November 10, 2026, globally by Alfred A. Knopf and in India by HarperCollins India.

Sonia Gandhi first met Rajiv Gandhi in 1965 at a small Greek restaurant in Cambridge, England, where students frequently gathered for meals.

The memoir explores major personal tragedies and defining events in her life, including the assassinations of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, as well as the heartbreak and loss that eventually drew her into politics.

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About the Author

Karishma Jain

Karishma Jain

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follo...Read More

First Published:

October 24, 2026, 11:31 IST

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