"She was not asking for permission. She was informing them that I was going to study."
That sentence, spoken by a police officer to a room full of worried elders, changed the direction of Komal's life.
komal kumari is from Jamui, Bihar, from a family of five. She spent her childhood with her grandparents, living with them until Class 12, and they gave her a strong upbringing and values she still carries.
After her grandfather passed away, she moved in with her parents. Curious by nature, she loves research, reading stories, and dancing, and she's drawn to any experience that helps her understand people, society, & different perspectives.
Her journey to higher education wasn’t easy, but she remained determined. After being selected for Azim Premji University, she faced her biggest challenge: her family arranged her marriage. She agreed on one condition, that she could continue her studies and was assured she could.
But she later discovered the other family had never been told about her plans. When she raised concerns, she was pressured to stay quiet and move forward with the marriage.
She asked herself a question that changed everything: how could she be responsible for changing someone after marriage, when she was already being asked to give up her own future?
She decided she needed help. She reached out to the people at I-Saksham Education and Learning Foundation, who encouraged her to write a letter to the Superintendent of Police. She wrote it and went to the police station. Her parents were called in, and people from her village gathered.
Her family said that if she went to study, she would no longer be considered part of the family. The Superintendent told them plainly that she wasn't asking for permission, she was informing them. That very day, she had a train to catch, and the police helped her reach the station safely.
She chose her education, even when everything around her told her not to.
Aditya Tyagi, the founder of i-Saksham, gave her the courage to speak up openly instead of leaving silently. Her mentors Ekta and Namrata S, and friends and colleagues like Reshma and Chhoti, stood beside her too.
During her two years at Azim Premji University, she received no financial or emotional support from her family, and the support of her i-Saksham community carried her through.
Today, Komal works as a Program Manager at Karunodaya Foundation, in the Literacy and Library Program, supporting teachers and schools. She began at the grassroots and is now learning how programmes are planned and run at scale.
Her dream is to start her own NGO, one that helps girls and women make informed choices about their education, careers, and lives, and shows them that social pressure should never be a reason to give up on their dreams.
Her message to every young woman: you deserve the courage to make choices about your own life. One decision can change the direction of everything.
komal kumari is from Jamui, Bihar, from a family of five. She spent her childhood with her grandparents, living with them until Class 12, and they gave her a strong upbringing and values she still carries.
After her grandfather passed away, she moved in with her parents. Curious by nature, she loves research, reading stories, and dancing, and she's drawn to any experience that helps her understand people, society, & different perspectives.
Her journey to higher education wasn’t easy, but she remained determined. After being selected for Azim Premji University, she faced her biggest challenge: her family arranged her marriage. She agreed on one condition, that she could continue her studies and was assured she could.
But she later discovered the other family had never been told about her plans. When she raised concerns, she was pressured to stay quiet and move forward with the marriage.
She asked herself a question that changed everything: how could she be responsible for changing someone after marriage, when she was already being asked to give up her own future?
She decided she needed help. She reached out to the people at I-Saksham Education and Learning Foundation, who encouraged her to write a letter to the Superintendent of Police. She wrote it and went to the police station. Her parents were called in, and people from her village gathered.
Her family said that if she went to study, she would no longer be considered part of the family. The Superintendent told them plainly that she wasn't asking for permission, she was informing them. That very day, she had a train to catch, and the police helped her reach the station safely.
She chose her education, even when everything around her told her not to.
Aditya Tyagi, the founder of i-Saksham, gave her the courage to speak up openly instead of leaving silently. Her mentors Ekta and Namrata S, and friends and colleagues like Reshma and Chhoti, stood beside her too.
During her two years at Azim Premji University, she received no financial or emotional support from her family, and the support of her i-Saksham community carried her through.
Today, Komal works as a Program Manager at Karunodaya Foundation, in the Literacy and Library Program, supporting teachers and schools. She began at the grassroots and is now learning how programmes are planned and run at scale.
Her dream is to start her own NGO, one that helps girls and women make informed choices about their education, careers, and lives, and shows them that social pressure should never be a reason to give up on their dreams.
Her message to every young woman: you deserve the courage to make choices about your own life. One decision can change the direction of everything.
This story was told by Komal Kumari and published with their permission by the What's Your Story editorial team.
