A trip to India that was meant to be celebratory and memorable turned deeply disturbing for an American woman after she experienced sexual harassment in Delhi. The visit was for a friend’s wedding, but
was marred by shocking incidents that left her shaken, angry, and ultimately decided she would never return.
Her experience came to light after Gaurav Sabnis, an Indian-origin professor at New Jersey’s Stevens Institute of Technology, shared a message he received from the woman, who happens to be his former student, following her return.
“When this former student called me in November for suggestions for her India trip for a friend’s wedding, I told her, be on guard for sexual harassment. Especially in Delhi. Here, you’re just another blond. There, you’ll be a target. Sadly, came true. Greatest culture!” he wrote.
American Woman Visits India For A Friend’s Wedding
In her message, the woman began by acknowledging that most of her visit had gone well.
“While my colleagues and hosts were great and I had a fun, memorable 8 days in India, there was one unfortunate and ugly incident,” she wrote and added that it “soured my mood so much” that she felt “withdrawn and depressed for a couple of days.”
She explained that from the moment she landed in Delhi, she drew attention simply by existing: “As you had predicted, I got asked for a lot of selfies. I thought you were exaggerating, but WOW! Starting from the baggage carousel in Delhi on landing, strangers were asking me for selfies.”
To deal with the attention, she followed a rule she believed would keep her safe.
“I followed the rule you suggested. Firm and RBF ‘NO!’ to men. But for women and children, using my judgment, I agreed,” she wrote. RBF is an abbreviated slang used in America that stands for: Resting Bitch Face.
For a while, she said, it seemed harmless, saying, “And it was fun for the most part.”
When this former student called me in November for suggestions for her India trip for a friend's wedding, I told her, be on guard for sexual harassment. Especially in Delhi. Here, you're just another blond. There, you'll be a target.
Sadly, came true.
Greatest culture! pic.twitter.com/LThSNG5p4r
— Gaurav Sabnis (@gauravsabnis) January 16, 2026
Groped By A Teenager At Delhi Metro Station
Things changed at a Delhi Metro station when a teenage boy approached her with his mother and sister. “But then a teenage boy, maybe 14 or 15, at a Delhi Metro station just ruined it forever,” she wrote.
Assuming there was no threat since the boy was accompanied by family, she agreed to a photo.
“He puts an arm on my shoulder. Weird but okay, he’s a teenager. And then… he just straight up grabbed my breasts hard and spanked my butt and giggled like he had played a joke.”
Her reaction was immediate: “I pretty much EXPLODED in anger, grabbing him by the collar and pushing him away.”
What shocked her even more was what followed. “He fell and his mother started getting upset at me saying I was ‘overreacting’,” she said.
According to her, the woman defended her son by saying he had “never met a blond lady up close” and had gotten “carried away.” “What kind of parenting is that?” she added.
‘I Don’t Think I’ll Return’
In conclusion, she told the professor: “I loved your country and I wish I could say I’ll return, but I don’t think I ever will. In fact I’m going to give all of South Asia a pass. And I now see what you were saying. I feel so sad for Indian women. This is their everyday life?”
See The Post Here
The number of replies saying they can't believe this happened. And calling it new India. I'm trying to be kind but were they born yesterday or did they never step out of their houses and talk to women friends? https://t.co/xdt3WHIfjM
— Sandhya (@TheRestlessQuil) January 18, 2026
Internet Reacts With Anger…And Denial
After the account surfaced online, social media users responded with anger and frustration over the shocking incident.
One user wrote, “Absolutely shameful, disgusting & embarrassing. I wish the lady had taken the matter further by calling the police.”
Another said sarcastically, “She is lucky. Only one bad experience in 8 days. I would have expected her back home in 3 days.”
“Most unfortunate. The over-protective mother’s reaction is highly condemnable and a major factor in moulding the way men behave,” someone else remarked.
“I am more shocked by his mother saying she’s overreacting. Indian women are so used to getting molested like that, it’s not a crime anymore???” a person pointed out.
But some users questioned the account itself. “This is a bullshit story. Let me tell you why. Paragraph 4, the “traveller” is angry with the parenting of the mother, but in the next stanza, she is also feeling sad for the Indian woman. Which women she is sad about? Those who are not teaching their kids? Or those who happen to face harassment? Because there is nothing different in India than the USA if you talk about harassment,” one commenter wrote.
“While sexual harassment is a real thing in India, this is a fabricated story for engagement farming,” another added.
Responding to such disbelief, a writer said, “The number of replies saying they can’t believe this happened. And calling it the new India. I’m trying to be kind, but were they born yesterday or did they never step out of their houses and talk to women friends?”
The number of replies saying they can't believe this happened. And calling it new India. I'm trying to be kind but were they born yesterday or did they never step out of their houses and talk to women friends? https://t.co/xdt3WHIfjM
— Sandhya (@TheRestlessQuil) January 18, 2026
As of now, there is no information on whether the woman filed an official complaint regarding the incident.
