‘I earn Rs 80 LPA now but something feels empty’: IITian explains harsh truth of living away from home

A well-paying job often drives many individuals to leave their homes and travel to a new city or sometimes even move overseas. While this transformative shift is essential for our personal and professional growth, making us better prepared for the future, there’s always a sense of not feeling completely satisfied for the majority of us. Starting from scratch, living in rented apartments and dealing with everyday nuisances besides work, quietly creeps up on us, until one day we feel there’s a void somewhere inside.

Pulkit Mittal, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, has captured the sentiment beautifully in his latest X-post. In the elaborate write-up, the techie remembered a story by a friend who, even after earning a handsome salary, is still paying the emotional cost of chasing career growth.

Hidden cost of moving cities

As per Pulkit Mittal, his friend now earns an impressive Rs 80 lakh per annum, which he was able to achieve after constantly switching companies and cities. He first moved from Pune to Hyderabad before eventually settling in Bengaluru. But despite the financial security, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of being disconnected.


Elaborating on the topic, the IITian revealed that living far away from home, his friend no longer felt like he truly belonged anywhere, describing himself as an outsider in every new city. He is hesitant to speak his mind in difficult or uncomfortable situations, not because he lacks confidence, but because he has no support system to rely on if things escalate for the worse. Cultural and linguistic differences added to his sense of isolation, wrote Pulkit.

Why success can feel empty

The post further highlighted that, unlike his hometown, where he had long-standing friendships and a strong community that knew him and his family, his current life has been stuck in a repeated loop of transactional workplace relationships. The absence of deep, meaningful connections leaves a lingering emptiness in him that financial success can never fulfil.

Pulkit Mittal’s friend also revealed that residing in rented spaces can never truly give you the warmth of home. Even small actions, like putting up posters on the walls or drilling a hole to build a shelf, feel restricted, reinforcing the idea that everything around him is temporary. In conclusion, the IITian said that his friend might have achieved his dream salary, but that unexplainable emptiness continues to dig deeper and deeper into his soul.