Dear Parvati,

It has been a week since your funeral. I still miss you terribly. I wake up in the middle of the night and wander into your room. It stands so quiet. I can see the stars out of your window.

I know this sounds so childish, but I don't know what to say. I wanted to tell you how much I missed you, how much I love you, but I didn't know where I should send the letter. At least now I can take it to your grave.

I'm sorry; I had to take a break after I reread the last sentence. It just hurts so much. Out of all the people who I lost that night, you are the one who I miss the most. It hurts when I seem my face in the mirror and for a moment a think it's you, looking at me again.

Sometimes, I can handle the pain. I wander around our house and think only of trying to help our parents get through this. At other times though, all I can do is curl up on your bed and cry myself to sleep.

I miss you doesn't seem to cover it. I miss everything about you. I miss the way you talk. It was so different from mine, more excited. I miss your hair, and I miss your face. I know that last part's just silly, since all I have to do is look in a mirror and there you are, eyes red from crying, but every detail of you placed in front of me.

The thing I miss the most though, is the talks we had. Not during school, but over the summer. No one was there to interrupt us and we would talk about every subject for hours on end, completely at home with each other.

Right now I don't have anyone to talk too. Our parents are not doing very well, and who else is there to talk too about my sister? I was never like you; I never had a best friend like you did. I had you, and that was enough. Now you're gone. I think that's why I'm sending you this letter. I just need someone to talk to like we used to be able to do.

With deepest love,

Padma