(MENAFN- Live Mint) A 21-year-old Reddit user shared an emotional post after discovering his father's old salary slips. His father, now 50 and earning nearly ₹1 crore a year, earned just ₹3.2 lakh annually in 2010. Yet, those were the happiest years of their lives, the user recalled.

The family went to malls every week, watched movies, ate out, bought branded clothes and even had gaming consoles like PSPs, an iPod and an Xbox 360. The father provided them all on that modest income.

The son said his father had never let them feel the financial strain, managing everything quietly while keeping the home filled with laughter.

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Around 2017-18, things changed. Outings stopped, and tension slowly replaced joy. Though his father's income grew sharply, so did the distance within the family. Fights became frequent, conversations fewer and emotional warmth faded.

“Now he earns close to 1 crore a year, but no one in the house is happy. There are constant fights. I know fights happened before too, but now I feel everything so much more clearly,” the Reddit user wrote.

“I don't think I can ever be like him. He protected us from the stress when we had very little. And now that we have so much, it feels like the family has fallen apart,” he added.

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Now, his parents barely talk, and he himself feels distant.

“My parents barely talk. I barely talk to them. I'll probably move out after college. Everything feels so crushed,” the user wrote.

Social media reaction

“If u think about it. People still are earning 3.2 lpa and managing somehow. Must be a comfortable salary back then,” one user replied.

“People starting their professional journey with a 3ish LPA salary is still normal... and getting a job in this market is actually a luxury itself,” another user wrote.

One user commented,“3.2LPA in 2010 is around 9LPA in 2025, which is close to 70k per month. So, tbh it was never absolute bottom for your family. People live comfortably in 70K with families even after paying rent right now.”

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“People change with age, responsibilities and stress so what you are going through happens in many homes. Doesn't make things easier for you though,” came from another.

“Why do you think money is the reason for this condition? Is he into some bad habits like adultery which is quite common for mid-aged men?” asked another user.

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