He worked for years to earn Rs 25 LPA. Then he quit his Mumbai job to move back home: ‘Mum and Dad are getting…’

A Rs 25 LPA salary in Mumbai can seem like the kind of career milestone people spend years chasing. But for one professional, the prospect of earning well in the city suddenly mattered less than being closer to his ageing parents. According to social media user Ankit Pandey, his friend surprised him by resigning from his well-paying job and moving back to his hometown. His reason was simple: his parents were getting older, and he wanted time with them.

Ankit Pandey took to X to share the story of his friend, who had worked hard to reach a salary of Rs 25 LPA in Mumbai. Pandey said he was initially shocked when his friend mentioned that he was considering resigning and returning to his hometown. The reason was that his “Mum and Dad are getting older.” When Pandey asked what he would do after leaving his job, his friend simply said he would find another job in his own city.

A week later, he actually resigned. Pandey admitted that he had assumed his friend was only talking about the possibility. As he explained, people often say they want to make major life changes, but rarely follow through. This time, however, his friend did exactly what he had said he would do.

Family over a Rs 25 LPA career

The decision was particularly striking because his friend had worked incredibly hard to reach Rs 25 LPA. Walking away meant giving up a lucrative Mumbai job, a career he had spent years building and the financial advantages that came with working in the city. But his priorities had changed.

According to Pandey, his friend told him there were “only two people in my life”, referring to his parents. They were getting older, and he wanted to spend more time with them. That decision meant choosing his parents over the salary and career path he had worked so hard to establish.

Why he decided to move back home

The story highlights a dilemma many working professionals can relate to. Building a career often means moving away from home, spending long hours at work and pursuing better salaries and opportunities in bigger cities. But time with ageing parents is something that cannot necessarily be recovered later.

For Pandey's friend, staying in Mumbai may have offered a higher salary and a well-established career. Moving home could mean starting again professionally and potentially earning less. Yet, being physically closer to his parents had become more important. Pandey's account suggests that the resignation was not an impulsive rejection of ambition. His friend had already demonstrated ambition by working his way up to Rs 25 LPA. Instead, he appears to have made a conscious decision about what he wanted that ambition to ultimately make possible.

‘Maybe that’s not madness’

Pandey initially reacted to the decision with disbelief, asking his friend if he was “mad” for quitting without even telling him. But after hearing his friend's reasoning, the decision appeared differently. Pandey reflected that perhaps choosing parents over money and a Mumbai career was not madness at all. Instead, it could be about recognising what matters before it becomes too late.

His post leaves readers with a difficult question: if you were earning Rs 25 LPA in Mumbai after years of hard work, would you be willing to give it up to spend more time with your ageing parents?

Internet reacts

A user commented, "I left onshore- UK when I was about 10 months away from permanent residency (PR). Had completed about 4 years and would have got PR in another 10 months. However Papa had brain stroke with left body paralysed. All depends on person to person." One added, "There was time, I wanted to shift in Mumbai and pursue my work professionally as writer. Or being theatre student so to involve in films. Also got offer for Assistant casting director during covid period. But covid changed my perspective completely. Seeing people loosing their loved ones. So decided I will visit mumbai for work, for a day or a week but will stay with my parents." One added, "₹25 LPA is a great salary but time with ageing parents is something you can never earn back. Sometimes choosing family over money is not giving up on your career, it’s choosing what matters more."