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IT professional travelled 200 km daily to work and support family, creates content as side hustle: ‘No time for myself’

Kanpur-based Khushi Srivastava documented her gruelling routine, which involved daily commutes to Lucknow, in an Instagram Reel that has since gone viral.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 3, 2025 04:26 PM IST

IT professional travelled 200 km daily to work

After graduating in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications, Khushi finished her training in Chennai

Software engineer Khushi Srivastava, 22, has been grabbing attention online for her incredible daily commute and how she balances it with her passion for content creation. Employed with a leading multinational firm in Lucknow, Khushi spent nearly five months travelling from her hometown of Kanpur, covering nearly 100 km one way. Her journey involved a train ride followed by an autorickshaw to reach her office in Gomti Nagar. In total, she travelled around 200 km every day, five days a week.

Khushi documented this gruelling routine in an Instagram Reel that has since gone viral. Speaking to HT.com, she shared the challenges of her journey. “I would wake up around 5.30 every day to get ready for work. I was also juggling the job with content creation, so sometimes I would shoot in the mornings before leaving for office,” she said.

After graduating in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications, Khushi finished her training in Chennai and was thereafter assigned in Kerala. “I could not work in Kerala, I wanted to be closer to my family. I am the sole breadwinner, and my mother was suffering from many health problems,” she explained. Her family, including her mother and elder brother, lived in Kanpur.

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A post shared by Khushi Srivastava (@misskhushi_210)

Securing a transfer to Lucknow was only the first step. The daily commute remained a challenge. She would leave her home around 6.40 am, reach the station by 7.10, and catch the 7.30 am train to Lucknow. After arriving at Charbagh railway station around 9 am, she took a shared autorickshaw for the final 15 km to her office. By the time she returned home at night, it was often past 11 pm.

“The commute was not expensive, but it was very hectic. I had no time for myself,” Srivastava said. “I had absolutely no work-life balance. There was barely enough time to eat well, much less pursue hobbies or have leisure time.”

After nearly five months of this exhausting schedule, Khushi decided to move to Lucknow. House-hunting proved another challenge, but she eventually found a room in Chinhat with an attached washroom and kitchen, where she now lives with her mother. The rent is Rs 4,500 per month.

Despite higher living expenses, Khushi says life is much easier without the long commute. Content creation has also provided a valuable side income. “I have been able to earn money from content creation. My YouTube channel is already monetised, and I am about to receive my third payment from there. Through Instagram, I have also been able to land brand collaborations,” she said.