Ilakkiya lost her mother at birth. Her father, her only parent and anchor, passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving her with no immediate family. She moved in with relatives, but the arrangement lacked emotional comfort and a sense of belonging. Eventually, she made the difficult choice to step out on her own.

Socially withdrawn and deeply hesitant, particularly around speaking to men, Ilakkiya found everyday interactions challenging. Trust, after all, is difficult to rebuild when life has repeatedly taken away the people closest to you. It was during this phase that Ilakkiya came across a video about FRND on social media. Drawn to the idea of a safe, judgment-free space where she could simply talk and be heard, she decided to join the platform.

What began as a tentative first step soon became a turning point not just for Ilakkiya, but for the people she connected with.

One of her earliest and most meaningful connections was with a man working 12-hour shifts in Qatar, far from home and emotionally isolated. Through consistent, genuine voice conversations on FRND, Ilakkiya became a steady presence in his life, helping him navigate emotional and personal difficulties he had carried alone for years. What started as companionship became a deep friendship that made a remarkable difference in his life.

But the most profound chapter was still unfolding.

On the platform, Ilakkiya met another man who mirrored her own grief. He too had lost his mother long ago and carried a quiet hopelessness, his only purpose in his life was to dedicate his life to his work. Life, for him, was something to endure, not to live.

Slowly, through late-night conversations and shared vulnerability, something shifted. Ilakkiya grew fond of him. What started as empathy deepened into friendship, and then into love. They got married this year.

Beyond companionship, FRND also became a source of livelihood for Ilakkiya. With her earnings from the platform, she completed her education and is today a practising advocate, a professionally and personally transformed woman who credits one platform for changing the entire trajectory of her life.

About FRND:
Founded in 2019, by Bhanu Pratap Singh Tanwar and Harshvardhan Chhangani, FRND is India’s first avatar-based audio social discovery platform that enables empathetic connections in Tier 2–4 towns and villages through an open social network. Designed for users aged 18–35, primarily from Tier 2 - 4 towns and beyond, FRND operates in ten Indic languages and has an array of innovative features. FRND is the marquee product of Interact Group, a company that is building an interaction entertainment portfolio at the intersection of social discovery, social gaming, voice, and AI for the next billion users.