The last memory Ruth Parathasangary has of her daughter was as she left home on the morning of 7 July 2005, heading for work.

"She did not say anything when she left. She just gave me a sweet smile."

Born in Sri Lanka in 1974, Shyanuja Parathasangary was brought to the UK in the 1970s at the age of one, when her father, Sangary, was given the chance to study in Britain.

She and her older sister Sindhu quickly adapted to their adopted country.

Shyanuja - or Shyanu - attended primary school in Queen's Park, west London, and later John Kelly High School in north London, showing a love of sport and talent for singing.

She followed her mother's religion, Christianity, rather than her father's, Hinduism, and worshipped at the Fernhead Road Methodist Church in Paddington, west London.

After graduating from London's South Bank University in business and administration, Shyanuja joined the Royal Mail in 1997 and was working at the Old Street office as an assistant purchasing officer at the time of the bombings.

One of her closest friends was Nell Raut, a friend since childhood.

They would meet up often to go shopping, watch a film or go swimming. On Thursday evenings, they could often be found at Chiquito, a Mexican restaurant in Staples Corner, north-west London.

At the time of her death, the 30-year-old was living in the family home in Kensal Green, north-west London, but was just about to move out.

She and her sister were in the throes of refurbishing a house they had bought a couple of doors away from their parents.

At her inquest, her mother and father said: "To know that this desire did not reach fruition and was cut short, just like her life, is tantamount to depriving her of what she could have achieved, not having asked much from life itself."

Ruth and Sangary Parathasangary went on to describe their daughter as a "tower of strength" to the family who would champion the causes of those who were downtrodden.

"One of Shyanu's remarkable characteristics is that she never had a harsh word for anyone. Even if she did not agree with someone, she would accept what they said with a smile.

"She was kind and generous and had an outgoing personality.

"The grief... is insurmountable - the youth, the innocence, the pride, the joy, all taken away in a moment."