What reason should I give HR for leaving my previous job after being asked to resign?

I'm a 2025 Tier-2 CSE graduate. I got placed in a decent-sized startup and worked there for around 8 months. Unfortunately, I was asked to resign because my performance was considered below expectations. The company made it clear that if I didn't resign voluntarily, they would terminate me citing performance, so I chose to resign.

Now I'm back on the job hunt, and I'm wondering what reason I should give HRs in interviews when they ask, "Why did you leave your previous company?"

One thought I had was to mention the long commute. I was based in Mumbai and my one-way commute was around 90–100 minutes every day. That explanation would make sense if I'm interviewing for roles in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, or Delhi.

But what about companies located near my previous office in Mumbai? Saying "commute" wouldn't really make sense because the travel time would be similar.

Given the current job market, I don't have the luxury of rejecting offers based on location; I need to take whichever decent opportunity I get.

If my reason for quitting isn't good enough, they'll just think it's because I wasn't doing well. That's pretty common around the 9-10 month mark.

Looking for practical advice from people who've gone through something similar.