The Woman Who Rose Twice: Nahida Mohamed’s Journey
Nahida Mohamed’s story does not begin on a stage or under bright lights. It begins quietly—with discipline, ambition, and years of hard-earned effort. Educated, accomplished, and deeply grounded, Nahida built her early life on strong academic foundations, earning two master’s degrees—an M.Com with UGC NET from St. Thomas College and an MBA in Financial Management from Madras University. Before marriage, she worked as an MIS Analyst at KPMG, Kochi Infopark and later as a guest faculty at St. Aloysius College in Thrissur. Life, at that time, followed a clear and promising path.
Motherhood arrived on November 22, 2017, bringing with it immeasurable joy—and unimaginable turmoil. Two days before delivery, Nahida was admitted to the hospital, where complications began to unfold rapidly. An adverse reaction to labor pain injections caused her body to swell, itch, and burn. Severe bleeding followed, and as labor pains intensified, fear crept in. Amid transfusions and mounting uncertainty, whispers of survival reached her family. When she finally heard her baby had been born—a girl—a soft smile appeared on her face, even as her body struggled to hold on.
What followed was far more dangerous than the delivery itself. Her blood pressure surged, breathing became difficult, and she was warned about possible postpartum depression. Weak and barely able to walk, Nahida returned home with her newborn, unaware that the battle for her life was just beginning. Within half an hour of reaching home, she collapsed. In panic, her relatives called the fire department, and she and her infant were rushed by ambulance from one hospital to another, until she was finally admitted to the MICU and placed on ventilator support.
Doctors soon diagnosed her with peripartum cardiomyopathy—a rare condition that weakens the heart during or after childbirth. Four days into her MICU stay, when her body stopped responding to medication, the doctors told her family to prepare for the worst. Inside the ventilator room, Nahida lay suspended between life and death, hearing voices through a fog of pain and unconsciousness, wanting to scream that life still pulsed within her. Against all medical odds, she woke up that night, searching first for her baby and then for her husband—only to later face abandonment during her most fragile phase.
She was discharged on December 6, 2017, alive but deeply broken. Her right hand had lost strength, her movements were limited, and she could not hold or breastfeed her child without assistance. Infection risks kept people away, and isolation soon turned into severe postpartum depression. With no emotional or physical support, Nahida found herself fighting a silent war—one that no one applauds and few understand. Yet, she chose not to surrender.
Counselling became her turning point. She was advised to reconnect with things that brought her joy and balance. Slowly, she returned to yoga and fitness, practices she had loved since childhood. She planned her meals, took evening walks, and allowed herself time to heal—both physically and mentally. Recovery was slow, but every step was intentional. With each passing month, strength returned, and so did belief in herself.
In April 2020, Nahida noticed an advertisement for the Mrs. Kerala competition and applied. Although the event was postponed due to the pandemic, her determination remained intact. Her journey extended to the Mrs. India One in a Million pageant, where she underwent rigorous selection processes, including an extensive online interview covering general knowledge, women empowerment, and social awareness. In December 2022, standing on a cold stage in Delhi among more than 50 contestants, Nahida remembered the hospital room where death had once been discussed in hushed tones.
When her name was announced as the winner of the ‘Kerala State Gold 2022’ title at the Mrs. India One in a Million beauty pageant, the crown symbolized far more than beauty. It stood for survival, resilience, and the reclaiming of identity. Nahida had walked from a ventilator bed to the ramp, redefining strength in its truest form.
Today, Nahida works in the Human Resource officer at Lahanti Lastmile Services Private Limited, Buisness Correspondence of ESAF Small Finance Bank. As a single mother, she takes immense pride in raising her daughter, Yishitha Yaritza, a bright third-grade student at the International School of Thrissur (TIST). Following her mother’s path, Yishitha has already stepped into modeling, participating in over ten designer and fashion shows. She has also earned recognition in sports, securing second place in a ramp walk with her pet, winning a 2.5-kilometre marathon, and excelling in activities such as chess, basketball, carroms, and running.
Nahida’s journey has been recognized with numerous honors, including Mrs. India One in a Million, Mrs. World Gorgeous Royal Global Queen, Forever Stars of India Role Model for Women, the Royal Achiever Award for Excellence in Business Planning and Development, and multiple modeling accolades between 2024 and 2025. Yet, beyond titles and applause, her purpose lies elsewhere.
She dreams of building a future where women and children facing abandonment, abuse, and trauma find safety and dignity. She envisions creating an organization for women empowerment and, within the next five years, establishing a true home—one she wishes to name “Heaven”—for orphans, abandoned elders, and children in need of care. Through her journey, Nahida Mohamed stands as living proof that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to rise even when life demands everything.
Her story is not merely one of survival. It is a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful walk is taken by someone who once had to relearn how to breathe.