Alfaaz · 7 pm0:38“Diwali ki bahut shubhkamnayein, Kamala ji. Jis ghar mein aap badi huin, wahan Diwali kaise manaayi jaati thi?”
2:14
A Diwali wish, then one question
In her language. She answers by voice, whenever she likes.
Home is far. The stories aren’t.
On Diwali evening, Ma gets a WhatsApp voice note about her childhood Diwalis. You hear her answer, in her voice.
Ma's Diwali gift
Diwali evening in 9d 19h 51m 08s
$51onceFirst Chapters is $61
- Four months of stories
- Written down, in her words
- Two letters by post
Paid once. Never renews. Full refund within 9 days of Diwali.
The same moment, far awayThe same moment · you, far awayInside the gift
Diwali evening, then four months of her stories
A real chapterThe Birthday and the Samosasमैं जैसे ही घर आई वो मेरे लिए बहुत सारा खाने का सामान ले-लेकर आई हुई थी। उस दिन मेरा birthday था।Her voice, beside it
Her stories, written down
Every story in her own words, with her voice beside it. See a sample
Two letters at her door
Printed from her own stories, and posted to her door along the way.
- It arrives on timeNothing ships. It begins at 7 pm India time.
- One small Diwali questionAbout the Diwalis of her childhood.
- She only talksA voice note, in her own language.
- Home, the same dayHer voice reaches you, wherever you are.
- It outlasts the lampsFour months of stories, in her words and her voice.
From today to Diwali evening
Three minutes from you. The rest happens on its own.
- TodayPay on this page
- TodaySet her up in three minutes
- Saturday 7 Nov, eveningYour lifafa card. Forward it, then send her your own voice note.
- Sunday 8 Nov, 7 pm India timeAlfaaz wishes her a happy Diwali. Her stories begin.
The mithai will be gone in a week. Her stories stay.
See a sample chapter“Will she actually reply?”
A real voice note
0:51
Vibha Anand, 55 · Delhi. “Once, on my birthday, something very interesting happened.”
एक बार मेरे birthday पर बहुत interesting बात हुई। हमारे घर में TV नहीं होता था तो हम साथ वाले घर में ऊपर third floor पर किसी के घर में बैठकर TV देखा करते थे। तो कोई program आ रहा था, बड़ा interesting सा। तो मैं बैठ के देख रही थी और मैंने time पे ध्यान नहीं दिया। उस समय पौने नौ हो गए थे। साढ़े आठ, पौने नौ हो गए थे और बुआ जी घर आ गई थीं। ये संतोष बुआ, नानी बुलाते हैं जिनको। तो मुझे भैया बुलाने आया। “aunty आ गई हैं, बुला रही हैं।” मैं बहुत डर गई। मैंने कहा, अरे गुस्सा करेंगी बहुत कि इतनी late हो गई। मैं जैसे ही घर आई, वो मेरे लिए बहुत सारा खाने का सामान ले-लेकर आई हुई थीं। उस दिन मेरा birthday था।
Something very interesting happened on my birthday once. We did not have a TV at home, so we used to sit in a neighbour's house on the third floor and watch television there. Some programme was on, a very interesting one. I sat watching and lost track of the time. It had become a quarter to nine by then. Half past eight, a quarter to nine, and my aunt had come home. This is Santosh Bua, the one the children call Nani. My brother came to fetch me: “Auntie has arrived, she is calling you.” I was very frightened. I thought she would be angry that I was so late. The moment I came home, she had brought armfuls of food for me. That day was my birthday.
- 68 sec
- the median time an elder took to answer Alfaaz, across 1,331 replies
- 8
- languages, so each parent answers in their own
- 9 days
- after Diwali to change your mind, for a full refund
Before you decide
Who is behind Alfaaz
- Measured, not claimed
- 93% of 1,347 elder replies came as voice notes: 22 elders, March to July 2026.
- Read the study
How we handle voices and family data, in plain words: our trust promise.
Questions before Diwali
What time does it begin where I live?
At 7 pm India time on Sunday 8 November, when the lamps are lit. That is 1:30 pm in London, 2:30 pm in Amsterdam, 8:30 am in New York and Toronto, and 5:30 pm in Dubai. When they answer, you hear it the same day.
Until when can I set it up for Diwali?
Setup for Diwali stays open until the end of Wednesday 11 November. Set it up on Diwali itself before 7 pm India time, and it begins that night. Set it up later, and it begins right away, except at night in India after Diwali, when it waits until 8 am India time. Set it up before 11 pm India time the evening before, and that evening we email you a lifafa card to forward on the evening of Diwali, and a reminder to send them your own voice note first.
Will they know before Diwali?
No. Nothing reaches them before 7 pm India time on Diwali. You add their WhatsApp number and choose their language, and then Alfaaz stays quiet. The surprise is the point.
Does my parent need to install anything?
No. No app and no account. A voice note arrives on the WhatsApp they already use, and they answer by voice whenever they like.
Which languages does Alfaaz speak?
Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Bengali, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi or English. You choose one for each parent when you set it up. Hinglish and family words are expected.
Can one gift cover Ma and Papa?
Yes. The gift for both is $91 once, against $51 for one. Each needs their own WhatsApp number. Both get their Diwali wish at 7 pm, each in their own language, and each gets their own chapters and letters.
What happens after the four months?
Nothing automatic. Four full months of Alfaaz for $51, paid once, and then it stops. No auto-renew and no surprise charge. Near the end we will email you a choice: move onto a subscription, gift again, or stop and keep everything already gathered.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If you change your mind within 9 days of Diwali, we refund the full $51. For both parents, it is the full $91. The clock starts on Diwali, not on the day you pay.
Will our family stories train AI models?
No. Alfaaz does not use your family's voice notes, transcripts or stories to train AI models, and we do not sell stories for advertising.
Have another question? Read our full FAQ. Giving for a birthday or an anniversary instead? The same gift, on their day.
Prices in
All you have to do is ask.
Set it up by Saturday 7 November, 11 pm India time, for the lifafa card.