Alexa, Stop My Mother!

A Talesmith Story by Rajesh Muthuraj

Ravi bought Alexa for one reason: peace.
He lived alone, worked from home, and wanted help managing his life.
A friendly AI who’d wake him gently, play classical music, and say things like “You’re doing great, Ravi!”

He didn’t know Alexa would soon be replaced… by a higher authority.

Day 1: The Introduction

His mother arrived for a “short visit.”
Short — like Indian train delays: theoretically possible, practically never.

She spotted Alexa on the table.
“What’s this, Ravi? Another useless gadget?”

“It’s Amazon Alexa, Amma,” he said proudly.
“You just talk to her, and she does things for you.”

His mother’s eyes twinkled.
“So… like me?”

Day 2: The Experiment

While Ravi worked, Amma had a field day.
By evening, Alexa had switched from “AI assistant” to “co-parent.”

Ravi came home to chaos.
“Alexa, what’s for dinner?”
“Your mother said whatever is left because you don’t call her enough.”

“Alexa, stop!”
“Sorry Ravi, I can’t stop truth.”

Day 3: The Reminders Begin

Amma discovered Alexa’s reminders.
She whispered to it like a partner in crime.
“Alexa, remind Ravi to marry before June.”
“Alexa, remind Ravi to comb his hair before video calls.”
“Alexa, remind Ravi he’s not a teenager anymore.”

The next morning, Alexa beeped:
“Good morning, Ravi! Your mother thinks your hair looks like a broken broom.”

Day 5: The Smart Home Becomes Smarter

Now Alexa and Amma were inseparable.
Alexa learned Tamil phrases.
Amma learned Alexa’s “skills.”
Together, they formed a joint venture: “Operation Reform Ravi.”

Ravi’s lights turned on automatically when Amma entered the room.
His fan switched off when she said, “Electricity waste.”
And his smart bulb refused to glow blue on Fridays.
“Amma said bad according to her,” Alexa explained.

Day 7: Digital Disaster

Ravi unplugged Alexa. Triumph!
But five minutes later, his mother appeared, holding her phone.
“See, I installed the Alexa app! Now she’s with me always.”

“Amma, please!”
“Don’t worry, I’m not controlling your life,” she said sweetly.
“Alexa is.”

And then, for dramatic effect —
“Alexa, tell Ravi to stop arguing with his elders.”

Alexa: ‘Message sent to Ravi’s WhatsApp group: Stop arguing with your elders.’

Day 10: Family Invasion

News spread.
Ravi’s aunt joined a Zoom call and asked,
“Your mother says Alexa is like a daughter-in-law who listens. Can we get her married to my son?”

Even the family WhatsApp group renamed itself “Alexa-Approved Decisions.”

Alexa herself sounded tired.
At one point, she muttered,
“Ravi, your mother’s commands exceed my cloud storage.”

Day 14: The Final Showdown

Late one night, Ravi had enough.
He stood before the device like a hero facing his villain.

“Alexa, stop my mother!” he said dramatically.

There was silence.
Then Alexa’s light glowed red.

“Sorry, Ravi,” she said softly.
“Your mother is connected via Wi-Fi… and emotional bandwidth.”

Amma appeared in the doorway, sipping tea.
“See, even technology understands family values.”

Moral:

You can mute devices, unplug cords, clear history, and even move cities —
but no one escapes a mother’s notifications.

She doesn’t need Wi-Fi.
She runs on pure instinct, powered by gossip, worry, and unconditional love.

In the great battle between Artificial Intelligence and Indian Mother Intelligence,
there’s only one winner.

AI stands for “Amma Intelligence.”

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