MashGet

STOUGHTON - The women sat in a circle on the wooden floor of the living room yesterday, somber-eyed and quiet. In the background drifted a melody from their native India, a mourning mantra that will play for five days to commemorate 4-year-old Diya Patel, who died less than 24 hours after being struck by a car Saturday while crossing the street with her grandfather.

Diya's death has crippled family members, who struggled to speak of the tiny girl with bird-like movements, laughing black eyes, and a wide, toothy grin. She loved the color pink, dancing in front of the television, and dressing up, they said.