Mumbai woman reveals the hidden cost people pay for career success in big cities. 'Something nobody talks about...'

For many young professionals today, moving to a big city is seen as an important step towards success. Better jobs, higher salaries, independence and a fast-paced lifestyle often make cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune attractive for people starting their careers. But along with the excitement of building a life of your own also comes something people rarely speak openly about.

A Mumbai-based professional Esha Malhotra, recently shared a LinkedIn post about the reality of living away from home while chasing career growth. Her post connected with many people who said they quietly deal with the same feeling every day.

In her post, Esha Malhotra wrote, “You know something nobody talks about when you’re busy living the IT life in an IT city? The pain of leaving your family behind.”


She spoke about how people often focus only on the visible side of city life, better jobs, independence, lifestyle and freedom, but rarely discuss what gets left behind in the process.

“While the perks are amazing, who doesn’t like going back home and just getting a hug from your mom, having to sit with your dad and share what happened throughout the day or help pick outfits with your sister,” she wrote.

Her words connected with many users who said they have gone through the same feeling after moving away from home for work or studies.

Many people related to the feeling

The post quickly gathered reactions from professionals and students who said the emotional gap created by career moves is often underestimated.

One user commented, “The salary grows, the experience grows… but sometimes the distance grows too.” Another user wrote, “Freedom feels exciting until you realize some of the people you love most aren’t part of your everyday life anymore.”

Several people said the hardest part is missing ordinary moments that once felt routine. Small conversations at dinner, spending time with parents after work, or simply being physically present at home become rare once someone moves to another city.

Katyayini Karnani commented, “Nothing can beat that pain of leaving the family and friends behind.”

Suhani Khurana also shared a similar thought and wrote, “Growing professionally while emotionally missing home is such a strange phase of life honestly.”

The freedom can also feel lonely

A lot of comments under the post pointed out how moving to big cities is usually shown as a success story. Better salary packages, independence and personal growth are celebrated, but emotional struggles are rarely discussed openly.

One user wrote, “People talk a lot about the freedom of moving away for work. Very few talk about the quiet loneliness that comes with missing small everyday moments with family.”

Another comment that got attention read, “The freedom is real, but nobody warns you that some evenings you'd trade the whole lifestyle just to sit at the dinner table again.”

Some users also spoke about how friendships in new cities help people cope with the distance, even if the feeling never completely goes away. One person commented that although the pain of leaving family remains, good friends help people forget it for some time.

At the same time, others said this trade-off has become common for young professionals today. Better opportunities are usually concentrated in large cities, forcing many people to leave hometowns and families behind at an early stage in life.

Esha Malhotra’s post did not criticize ambition or city life. Instead, it highlighted the emotional side that usually gets ignored in conversations around success.

Towards the end of her post, she summed it up by saying, “There’s always the big glorious picture everyone sees around you. The freedom. The lifestyle you choose for yourself. No fights. Doing things the way you like. But the quality time you could’ve also spent with your family, that’s always a loss.”