In the father's absence, it was the daughter whom both parents trusted most.
"She was the head of the family in the real sense," he said. "Now that she is gone I can't even see tomorrow clearly. I have no idea about the future."
It was a responsibility she took seriously. By the time she was in the ninth grade she was already working — tutoring younger children in her neighborhood — to help pay her school fees.
She also watched over her brothers to make sure they weren't falling behind in class.
"She gave us direction. She would ask us about our studies. We would ask her for help," said the brother who gave up his place in an engineering college.
The father had big dreams for her. But her dreams were bigger.
"She wanted to become a doctor. A really good doctor," he said.
