Sonia Gandhi‘s entry into Indian politics was neither planned nor driven by political ambition. For years, she remained content with a private life alongside her husband, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, even as she became part of one of India’s most powerful political families.But Rajiv’s assassination in 1991, seven years after the killing of her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, would eventually change the course of her life, drawing her into the leadership of the Congress.In an interview with The Guardian, published ahead of the release of her memoir ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, the 79-year-old Congress veteran spoke about meeting Rajiv in Cambridge, her relationship with Indira Gandhi, the personal tragedies that shaped her life and the circumstances that eventually led her to take charge of the Congress.‘It was a coup de foudre’Recalling her first meeting with Rajiv in the 1960s, when she was 18 and studying at a language school in Cambridge, Sonia described it as an instant attraction. The two met at a Greek restaurant, she said in the interview.“It was a coup de foudre,” she told The Guardian, using the French expression for love at first sight. She recalled being drawn to Rajiv not merely because of his looks but also because of what she felt his eyes revealed about his personality. She described him as loving, comforting and caring.Must Read | Sonia Gandhi: The outsider who became the Congress’s ultimate insiderAt the time, Sonia said, she had no idea that the young man she had fallen in love with was the grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, and the son of Indira Gandhi, who would go on to become the country’s first woman prime minister. Rajiv Gandhi worked as a commercial airline pilot and the couple raised their two children, Rahul and Priyanka, while Sonia gradually adapted to life in India. (PTI file photo)Sonia moved to India in 1968. The couple initially lived with Indira Gandhi, who was then serving as prime minister. Recalling her relationship with her mother-in-law, Sonia told The Guardian that she was initially intimidated by Indira’s formidable public persona.Story continues below this adHowever, she said the picture of Indira at home was different from the one often presented in newspapers. “In the newspapers she was portrayed as tough or harsh, but at home she was just like any other mother,” Sonia said.‘Indira Gandhi was a democrat at heart’: SoniaShe also recalled how Indira had once confided in her about being frightened when she first became prime minister. While acknowledging that her mother-in-law could have a temper, Sonia said she had seen the pressure and loneliness that came with the office. She recalled watching Indira work day and night, constantly facing attacks and political pressure.“I always feel that Mrs Gandhi was a democrat at heart,” Sonia told The Guardian, while talking about the Emergency imposed in 1975. She said she believed Indira herself had eventually become uncomfortable with the decision, adding that the experience must have weighed heavily on her.Also Read | Behind Sonia Gandhi’s book controversies: From The Red Sari row to memoir disputeFor several years, Sonia’s life with Rajiv remained largely removed from the political sphere. Rajiv was working as a commercial airline pilot, and the couple raised their two children, Rahul and Priyanka, while Sonia gradually adapted to life in India.Story continues below this adThat changed in October 1984, when Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards at her residence in New Delhi. Sonia recalled rushing to the spot after hearing gunshots and finding her mother-in-law lying in a pool of blood.In her account to The Guardian, Sonia described holding Indira’s bleeding body as she was rushed to hospital. She said she realised during the journey that her mother-in-law was no longer responding to her questions and feared that she had already died.When Rajiv Gandhi became Prime MinisterThe tragedy also brought an unexpected political responsibility for Rajiv. Sonia recalled that while Indira’s body was still at the hospital, Rajiv informed her that he had been asked to take over as prime minister. She had pleaded with him to stay away from politics, describing the moment as a “knife going into my heart”.Rajiv, however, took over the leadership of the government following his mother’s assassination. Sonia told the British publication that the family was subsequently consumed by fear, with security becoming a constant presence in their lives and their children losing much of the freedom they had previously enjoyed.Story continues below this adShe said she was perpetually anxious whenever Rajiv returned late from an engagement. Her overriding fear, she told the interviewer, was that he would be killed next.Also Read | ‘Only Priyanka and I know…’: Rahul Gandhi’s emotional note to mother Sonia on her upcoming memoirThat fear became reality on May 21, 1991, when Rajiv was assassinated by a suicide bomber belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during an election campaign in Tamil Nadu.Recalling the aftermath, Sonia struggled to describe how she continued living after his death.Despite her sister urging her to return to Italy, Sonia said leaving India was never an option. “India was my home, my children’s home,” she said.Story continues below this adThe assassination left her devastated. Her daughter Priyanka, who was present during the interview, recalled how Sonia would spend long periods sitting in darkness, listening to Mozart’s Requiem. Sonia also spoke of the anger and grief she experienced, struggling to come to terms with the fact that Rajiv had been taken away from her.From reluctance to Congress presidentSonia remained away from active politics for several years after Rajiv’s assassination. However, as the Congress faced a leadership crisis and the possibility of fragmentation, pressure mounted on her to step in and revive the party.She eventually agreed to become Congress president in 1998, a decision she told The Guardian was driven by a sense of duty towards her late husband rather than any personal political ambition.The transition was far from easy. Sonia had to overcome her natural shyness and address political audiences in Hindi, which was her third language. She also had to contend with a political environment she had long regarded with suspicion.Story continues below this adDespite her initial reluctance, she went on to lead the Congress to its electoral victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. The party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) subsequently formed the government, but Sonia declined to become prime minister, a decision that surprised political observers.“It was clear in my mind I would never do it,” she told The Guardian. “It was just not me,” she added.She instead remained at the helm of the Congress and the UPA, becoming the longest-serving president in the party’s history before stepping down in 2017, when Rahul Gandhi succeeded her.Sonia’s memoir, scheduled for release on November 10, revisits her journey from Italy to India and the personal experiences that shaped her public life.