A Non-Residential Indian (NRI) traveling back to India shared their experience on Reddit, describing the entire situation as a ‘massive headache’. The post from tanmay__10may on the NRI subreddit, garnered mixed reactions.Representational image showing NRI returning to India. (AI Generated/Grok)“Hey guys, just need to vent a bit. I’m an Indian living abroad and currently back home visiting my parents in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. Every time I come back, I’m reminded of why I left in the first place,” the person wrote, without mentioning where they were traveling back from in the first place.Criticizing the apparent situation in their hometown in Himachal Pradesh, the individual added “The bad roads and pollution are one thing, but the toxic attitude and ego of some people here is just next-level depressing.”Also Read | Why US-based NRIs are swapping luxury resorts for heritage homestays in IndiaThey went on to share some incidents that happened with them, leading them to head to this conclusion.Why the Reddit user felt returning to India was a ‘headache’“I had an Airtel SIM that got deactivated because I didn't recharge it for a few months while I was out of the country. Since it was originally a Vi number, it went back to Vi's system. I went to find the local agent here in Baddi (who by the way barely even opens his office). I was completely polite with him. I just casually said that customer care told me I could get the number back for a normal, standard fee. That was it. Just that one sentence completely bruised his ego,” the Redditor shared.They added “The guy probably earns 10k or 20k a month, but his attitude was bigger than a millionaire. He started power-tripping, talking down to me, and acting like he was doing me some huge favor. Then he tried to demand ₹940 for a basic SIM activation. It wasn’t even about the money—I would’ve happily paid just to get it over with, because **this number is literally connected to all my socials, all my bank accounts, my government IDs, and even some important documents abroad.**”The individual further claimed “When he got angry and hostile, I walked away. Later, because I desperately need this number back for my life and career, I swallowed my pride and called him 3–4 times just to apologize and sort things out. But the sheer audacity of this guy—**he blocked me and deleted all the text messages from his side on WhatsApp.** All this childish drama and blocking just because I mentioned what customer care said. Oh my god, save this country. It feels like if anyone here gets even a tiny bit of authority or leverage over you, they will immediately try to bully you, power-trip, and hustle you for cash.”The person on Reddit continued that they were an Indian themselves and if there were attempts to scam a fellow countryperson then they didn't ‘blame foreigners at all for making fun of Indian scammers’.“It’s genuinely embarrassing. I wanted to fight him, but it’s just not worth it anymore. What if he had a weapon? What if he filed a fake police case? My whole career and my visa would be completely ruined over a stupid SIM card. The system here always protects these people anyway,” the person further added.Sharing their situation, they continued “My parents beg me to come home every year, but honestly, it just feels like a burden now. Dealing with this toxic mentality is exhausting.”They also advised those returning to Baddi or small towns, not to bother talking to these local third-party retail agents. “Just bypass them completely and go straight to a proper flagship store in Chandigarh or Panchkula where people actually act professional,” they wrote. HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of this post.Reddit post on India draws mixed reactionsThe post drew a lot of mixed reactions with many criticizing the conditions in India, while some questioned whether the individual who made the post was acting in a high-handed manner.“We are deeply depraved and deeply depressed, and that shows up in all sorts of evil ways, unfortunately,” one claimed. Another added “Literally visiting India rn for my family and I didn't wanna sound like an NRI with my mindset but it's hard with how things are here fr.”Meanwhile, some questioned the person making the post. “Sorry but in this story, you have had glass ego as well else you wouldn't write a big story here. A billion people, you will find characters of all kind in equal proportion,” one wrote. Another added “To be fair, your ego was also at play in this. It sounds like money was the problem, or else you wouldn't have argued with him about it. The normal, standard fee only applies if you went to a real Vi store. A third party vendor is not an employee of Vi, and they don't have to use their prices. He owns the shop. He makes the prices. The only way he makes money is by adding an upcharge.”Yet another person took the middle ground and empathized with the Redditor, while pointing out the vastness and diversity of India and noting that it would be wrong to generalize in the manner the post did.“India is a large country. While I empathize with you, it may not be as bad as you are describing on other parts,” they said.