Meet Mousam Kumari: No family, no home, no money — got into IIT, failed to.., and now lands job offer from…
Meet Mousam Kumari: No family, no home, no money — got into IIT, failed to.., and now lands job offer from…
From losing her parents early to battling instability and power cuts, Mousam Kumari held on to her dream of IIT. Guided by her Daadi’s love and her own unbreakable spirit, she turned every setback into a stepping stone to success.
Some stories speak softly, but leave echoes in every heart they touch. Mousam Kumari’s journey is one such tale, a story of a young girl who didn’t let life’s repeated blows stop her from chasing a dream stitched with love, loss, and relentless perseverance.
Mousam shared, “I was just six months old when we lost Papa. By the time I turned three, Maa had remarried. So Daadi (grandmother) raised me,” she said. Her grandmother and uncle (Chacha) became her anchors, the reason she worked harder each day. “In class 10, I promised myself, IIT jaungi aur Daadi ko duniya dikhaungi,” she said with conviction.
But fate struck again. One day, after school, her uncle’s friend came to pick her up—and brought the news that her beloved Daadi had passed away. Her world shattered. “I broke down completely. But then I remembered her dream. And suddenly, I couldn’t see anything else—I just had to make her proud.” With that fire, she topped her 10th-grade exams.
As she began preparing for IIT, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Schools shut down, and she had to return “home” but for her, the definition of home has changed. Her uncle asked her to stay with an aunt, but frequent power outages and being shuffled from one relative to another made studying nearly impossible. “Kabhi is chachi ke yaha, kabhi us aunty ke waha… I began to question myself. Kya main kar paungi?”
But she refused to surrender. Holding on to Daadi’s dream, Mousam pushed through the instability and cracked the IIT entrance exam, earning a place at IIT Guwahati.
Still, one big challenge loomed: how would she pay the fees?
Then came a twist of fate. One day, she saw a forwarded WhatsApp message about the Kotak Kanya Scholarship. She applied, hoping for a miracle—and just a few days later, she got the call. The scholarship would cover it all: tuition, living expenses, and even training in skills like communication, CV writing, and interviews.
“For the first time, I had a place I could call home. I had friends who felt like family. I became independent,” Mousam shared. “Last year, I got placed in a global private bank with a high-paying job. I’ve worked so hard… the fruit has to be sweet, right?”
Her story has struck a chord with people across the internet. A former peer from Navodaya called her “an unstoppable talent,” remembering how inspiring her perseverance was, even as a competitor. Others poured in love, blessings, and admiration, proud of her success and moved by her strength.
Mousam’s journey reminds us all: that resilience doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it quietly endures and eventually, shines.
Also Read
