I'm a millennial living in Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India. I have my dream job in tech and get to spend 30% of my salary on travel, but there's a lot of pressure to be married.

• Kavya Dangda, 34, is an intellectual-property lawyer in Bengaluru, India.
• She says she has the freedom to travel because she has no liabilities, such as a house or a partner.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kavya Dangda, a 34-year-old intellectual-property lawyer in Bengaluru, India. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm an intellectual-property lawyer, and I live in Bengaluru, India. Bengaluru is known as the Silicon Valley of India, and I work for a tech company there.

I was excited to move to Bengaluru from Noida, India, in 2019 to start my first job after getting my Master of Laws, also called an LLM. It took me a month to find an apartment because it's difficult for single women to get housing in India. Luckily, I was able to room with a colleague in her apartment until I was able to have my own place.

I was happy to find a place that met my requirements and was within my budget.

My parents want me to buy a house, but I'm at peace living in my rented apartment

My apartment community has a good landlord. It's in a gated community in a residential area near my work. I spend about 20% of my income on rent, utilities, domestic help, and groceries.

My parents tell me to invest in a house — which I could with my current salary — but I feel that buying a home would tie me down. I love to travel, and I need flexibility in my life.

If I bought a house right now, I'd have to spend 30% to 40% of my income on my mortgage. That's a big jump from what I spend on housing. If I had a partner who was also contributing financially, I'd feel more comfortable buying a house — but right now, I find that scary and limiting for my lifestyle.

In India, work experience is more important than degrees

I got my Bachelor of Laws, known as an LLB, from a public university in Delhi, India, which was very affordable. My parents helped me pay for that degree, so I didn't have to take out a loan. For my LLM, I got a full-ride, merit-based scholarship to a university in Singapore.

I wanted to get international experience, so I was excited to be able to go to Singapore. But, I got a lot of backlash for pursuing my LLM.

In India, work experience is more important than degrees. When I began working as a lawyer with my LLB, I made a meager salary that was below the poverty level. I eventually got a significant raise by moving to a bigger law firm, but it still wasn't much.

When I quit my job to pursue my LLM, I was told I was committing career suicide

I lost two years of work experience while getting my LLM, but I knew I wanted to specialize as an intellectual-property lawyer, so I ignored everyone. After getting my master's, I felt highly qualified and excited to get the job I wanted. Unfortunately, my starting salary was based on the salary I had at my last job with an LLB.

In my interviews, employers asked me why I took a break from work and interrupted my job growth. Getting my LLM wasn't a good enough reason for them. But I worked hard. I knew I was highly qualified and highly capable. My salary has increased, and it's much higher than I would've earned with just an LLB, so I have no regrets.

I'm able to save 20% of my salary and spend money on travel

Since I have no debt, I'm able to save and invest 20% of my salary. I work for private companies, so it's important for me to build up my retirement fund. I work with a financial advisor and an accountant to help me invest in mutual funds.

About 30% of my income goes into paying taxes. I use the remaining 30% of my money for going out with friends and traveling. Recently, I called my friend and asked her to go to Cambodia with me for the weekend. I bought tickets for the following Friday and flew to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat.

I have the freedom to travel because I have no liabilities such as a house, children, partner, or parents to support. I always stay in a four- or five-star hotel or resort, especially when traveling alone.

I need a partner who will embrace my lifestyle and not chop off my wings

It's not that I don't want to get married and have kids one day, but it's a want, not a need. I don't want to give up my freedom and my lifestyle to get married. I also don't want to have to quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom.

There's a lot of pressure for someone my age to get married, but luckily, I have supportive parents who pushed me to be independent and live on my own terms.

I work 10-hour days, but I love the work that I do. This is exactly the job I wanted when I went to law school, and I love being able to learn and grow in it. I also love that it affords me the lifestyle to travel and spread my wings.

This story is part of a series called "Millennial World," which seeks to examine the state of the generation around the globe.

Correction: July 10, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misidentified the city where Kavya Dangda lives and works. It is Bengaluru, India.