'Even with all this emptiness, I still feel your love'

'My friends always say I'm perpetually happy, and now I realise it was because of you.'

Photograph: Kind courtesy Sridevi/Instagram

As Sridevi's family tries to pick up pieces of their lives again, her husband and daughter have revealed what they are going through on social media.

'Life will never be the same again' her husband Boney Kapoor wrote while her brother-in-law and long-time co-star Anil Kapoor thanked friends and well-wishers as well as the Mumbai police for helping the family get the privacy they needed in their time of grief.

Anil asked all those who loved Sridevi to 'envelope her two little ones, her life, as she often called them, with as much or more love we gave Sri so that they can live their lives ahead with a little less ache in their hearts.'

The most touching message came from Janhvi Kapoor, Sridevi's elder daughter who wrote her heart out on her 21st birthday.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Sridevi/Instagram

There's a gnawing hollowness in my chest that I know I'll have to learn how to live with.

Even with all this emptiness, I still feel your love.

I feel you protecting me from sadness and pain.

Everytime I close my eyes, I only have good things to remember. I know it's you doing that.

You were a blessing in all our lives, we were blessed to have you for as long as we did.

But you weren't meant for this world.

You were too good, too pure, too full of love.

That's why he took you back. But at least we had you.

My friends always say I'm perpetually happy, and now I realise it was because of you.

Nothing anyone said mattered, no problem was big enough, and no day could ever be dull because I had you. And you loved me.

And I didn't have to rely on anyone or anything because the only person I ever needed was you.

You are a part of my soul.

My best friend.

My reason for everything.

Your whole life you kept giving, and all I wanted was to do that for you too, Mumma.

I want to make you proud.

Every morning, all that I would do was with the hope that one day, you'd be as proud of me as I was of you.

But I promise I'll wake up every day still with that thought. Because you're here and I can feel you.

You're in me, Khushi, and in Papa.

The imprint you've left on us is so strong, it might just be enough to keep us going, but never enough to be fully whole.

I love you, my everything.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Janhvi Kapoor/Instagram

Janhvi added another message:

On my birthday, the only thing I ask of all of you is that you love your parents. Cherish them and devote yourself to making them feel that love. They have made you.

And I ask that you remember my mother fondly, pray for her soul to rest in peace.

Let the love and adulation you all showered on her continue and please know that the biggest part of my mother was the love she shared with papa. And their love is immortal because there was nothing like it in the whole world.

Nothing as joyful and pure and no two people as devoted to one another as they were.

Please respect that because it hurts to think anyone would ever try to tarnish it.

Preserving the sanctity of what they had would mean the world not only to my mother, but also to a man whose entire being revolved around her, and her two children who are all that remains of their love.

Me and Khushi have lost our mother, but papa has lost his 'Jaan'.

She was so much more than just an actor or a mother or a wife.

She was the ultimate and the best in all these roles.

It mattered a great deal to her to give love and to get love. For people to be good and gracious and kind.

She didn't understand frustration or malice or jealousy. So let's be that.

Let's be full of only good and give only love. That would make her happy, to know that even in death, she gave you all something.

The courage and inspiration to fill yourselves with nothing but love and rid yourselves of bitterness in any way and form. That's what she stood for.

Dignity, strength and innocence.

Thank you for the love and support everyone has shown us in the past couple of days.

It has given us hope and strength and we can't thank you all enough.

• FAREWELL, SRIDEVI