Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ has been released. In this book, which was launched on November 10, Sonia Gandhi has told many stories related to her life and has especially mentioned her close relationship with Amitabh Bachchan’s parents Teji Bachchan and Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Referring to her first visit to India before marriage, Sonia Gandhi said that when she came to India for the first time, she stayed at the house of Teji Bachchan and Harivansh Rai Bachchan. She has told in her book that when she came to India after being away for almost a year, she met Rajiv Gandhi, who had reached the airport to receive her and along with him her brother Sanjay Gandhi and friend Amitabh Bachchan were also present.

Amitabh Bachchan had come to pick up Sonia Gandhi at the airport

In her memoir ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, Sonia Gandhi has mentioned in detail the days spent at the Bachchan family’s house in Delhi. She told in her book that she stayed away from Rajiv for about a year, but even after this she and Rajiv Gandhi had full faith in their love and relationship and on the basis of this faith, she came to India for the first time. Sonia reached New Delhi at 5:15 am on January 13, 1968, where Rajiv Gandhi, his brother Sanjay Gandhi and his friend Amitabh Bachchan, who later became the megastar of Hindi cinema, were already present to receive her.

Sonia Gandhi stayed at Amitabh Bachchan’s parents’ house

The former Congress president wrote in her book, ‘I was very tired and a little nervous, but as soon as I saw Rajiv, all the fear and fatigue went away. She was not able to say anything due to happiness. The airport was a dimly lit hangar-like building, very different from Rome’s large and modern airport. Even the small airport of Turin (city of Italy) was bigger and brighter than this airport. Sonia Gandhi told that through a narrow road they reached Willingdon Crescent, where Amitabh Bachchan’s parents Teji Bachchan and Harivansh Rai Bachchan had their house. After reaching Delhi, Sonia had to stay here. He has described the Bachchan family as family friends of Indira Gandhi since their Allahabad days.

Teji Bachchan welcomed

Recalling the welcome given by Teji Bachchan, he wrote – ‘The short height Mrs. Bachchan was wearing a jacket and trousers and had a French style scarf tied on her head. He welcomed me with a very sweet smile and warmth. Later, she became like a mother to me, who was always there to teach and help me. Sonia Gandhi further said that she stayed in the room adjacent to Teji Bachchan’s room, which had special arrangements to make it comfortable and that Rajiv had taken out a thick carpet from his mother’s house and spread it on a part of the floor to make the old and simple bathroom look better.

First meeting with Harivansh Rai Bachchan

Recalling her meeting with Harivansh Rai Bachchan and the special advice she received from him, Sonia Gandhi said that Bachchan ji also welcomed her with a smile and then left from there. After this, Rajiv took him to his home for breakfast, where he met Rajiv’s mother Indira Gandhi. He told that Indira Gandhi welcomed him with great ease and warmth and met him as if she already knew him. She was aware of Sonia’s asthma problem, which is why she advised her to dress warmly. According to Sonia, Bachchan ji used to caution her from time to time, saying, ‘You should know, Sonia daughter, that in this country it does not matter what you are, but what matters is what people think of you.’ She wrote that Bachchan ji’s words made her wonder whether this meant that she could not live as herself here. Because, she wanted to remain as she was and did not understand how she should present herself in any other form.

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