‘Ma had to bear the brunt’: Ankur Warikoo shares how his mother supported the family when his father was unemployed

Ankur Warikoo has shared an emotional account of his parents’ marriage and the very different roles they played in keeping their family together. While his father was willing to take career risks, his mother became the family's source of stability when those risks failed. From working as a primary school teacher to giving evening tuitions, she continued supporting the family even when the responsibility became exhausting. Warikoo believes that this contrast may be one reason his parents worked so well together.

Ankur Warikoo on his parents' contrasting personalities

Warikoo took to social media to reflect on his parents, describing them as “very different from each other”. He suggested that perhaps their differences were precisely what helped their relationship work. His father initially had a stable job that did not bring in a lot of money but provided enough for the family to live comfortably. However, an opportunity to earn twice his salary, along with a car, changed things.

Warikoo said his father accepted the offer immediately, but within about a year, the company shut down. He was then unemployed for several years.

His mother became the family's safety net

During those difficult years, Warikoo's mother stepped in to support the family. She worked as a primary school teacher at a local school and also gave evening tuitions. Her income was considerably lower than what the family had previously earned, but it provided something they urgently needed: stability.

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Warikoo recalled that his mother's steady income gave his father the freedom to continue taking risks. However, most of those risks did not materialise. While his father continued to pursue opportunities, his mother had to absorb the consequences of keeping the household financially and emotionally stable.

‘Ma had to bear the brunt’

Warikoo said his mother “had to bear the brunt” of providing stability repeatedly, often beyond what she was capable of handling. Yet, she continued. Now 72, his mother was still giving tuitions as recently as four years ago. Warikoo recalled that there were times when she was tired of doing it, but she carried on because her work helped keep the family secure. Her contribution, he suggested, went beyond simply earning an income.

How his mother's stability allowed his father to take risks

Warikoo came to see an important dynamic within his parents' relationship. His father was the “risk-lover”, while his mother provided the stability that made those risks possible. Her predictable income and commitment to the family meant that his father could continue exploring opportunities without the entire household becoming financially volatile.

Warikoo said her stability allowed him “to fly”, while ensuring that he returned to a predictable and non-volatile home. That balance came at a cost, however, because his mother often had to stretch herself to maintain that sense of security.

‘She offered the stillness that a volatile life values’

For Warikoo, his mother's contribution cannot simply be described as financial support. “She did not just offer support and stability,” he wrote. She offered “the stillness that a volatile life values”. It is this contrast that Warikoo believes may explain why his parents worked as a couple despite being so different from each other.

His father's willingness to take risks and his mother's ability to create a stable home pulled in opposite directions, yet together they created a balance that helped their family navigate years of uncertainty.