The Curry Killer - She Killed 6 Of Her Husband’s Family With CURRY So She Could Marry Her Cousin

Barbe a bing barbe. They say the house picks you. Once the. house has chosen, there's really no. escaping. You're a prisoner of that. house until it decides to let you go. That's what the neighbors say anyway, when they walk past that baby pink. colored pastel mansion. Address 121, the. pink house. There's a giant fence that surrounds the. entire property. It's made out of iron. and stone. It looks Honestly, it looks a. little daunting. That fence is like a. prison wall. It's always locked. They.

want to keep people out, but you do know. how doors work, right? It also keeps. people in. It keeps in all those little secrets. that are best not let out into the. public. Who are the neighbors talking about? Why. are they talking about the pink house? There's only two people that live in the. pink house. Outside the pink house, there is a. plaque on the gate. It's a sign that. reads Tom Thomas. Was Tom Thomas one of the residents. there? No. He was killed in there.

The house chose a new owner, I guess you. could say. Kids would also start trading stories. about the pink house. They would run. around screaming. A lot of them would. hold their breath past the house because. it was almost this little curse of if. you breathe when you walk past the pink. house, they're going to suck the soul. out of you. But once they're in a safe enough. distance, they would poke fun. Did you. know that if you're quiet enough, you. can still hear the baby crying? What baby? The baby of the guy that. lives there.

The baby died. The adult neighbors, they're no better. They'll walk past that house, drop their. voice. The priest told the family if. they want to live, they need to cut down. that haunted tree. Apparently, the roots. of the tree, they go all the way into. the ground, and then the branches start. following all of the evil spirits, and. then they sprout out from the trunk of. the tree. Now, I heard it was the well. That well. is like a portal to hell. It goes all. the way way into the depths of the. earth, and they say that if you stand at. the very edge of the well, and you bend.

over to look down, you peer over the. edge for a little too long, a hand is. going to reach up and snatch you by your. hair, and drag you down under. But, the only thing scarier than the. paranormal is, the priest told the. family if they don't put a wall around. the well, three people are going to die. in that house. So, fence the well in the middle? Yes, otherwise three people are going to. die. He was wrong. Three people would not. die. Six people would. Six. And it wasn't haunted, there was a.

serial killer in the family. We would like to thank today's sponsors. who have made it possible for Rotten. Mango to support Futures Without.

Violence. For more than 30 years, this. nonprofit has been fighting to eradicate. family violence from all over the world. by providing judicial training, educational programs, and various. resources for DV, and even legal change. and advocacy. This episode's. partnerships have also made it possible. to support Rotten Mango's growing team. of dedicated researchers and. translators. We'd also like to thank you. guys, our listeners, for your continued. support as we work on our mission to be. worthy advocates of these causes. Now, as always, full show notes are available. at rottenmangopodcast.com.

Before we get started, there are a few. quick disclaimers for today's case. It. is important to note that everyone is. presumed innocent until proven guilty in. the court of law. And as of right now, there have been no official sentencing. of the suspects charged. The trial. remains ongoing. We've also changed a. few names in this case, but the alleged. killer's names remain the same. The. majority of the sources were available. in English, but some of them were still. translated. So, as always with any. international cases or really any case. at all, please let us know if there was.

anything miscommunicated, mistranslated, or any additional information that you. might have down in the comments. So, with that being said, just an additional. reminder, everything is alleged. There. have been no convictions. We will. discuss the many theories towards the. end of this episode, but this is the. story that the family members, including. the sons of the killer, as well as the. prosecutors, believe has taken place. So, with that being said, let's get into. that version of the story. Do you know what a locked house mystery. is? Yes. No No in, no out.

Exactly. To put it simply, it's when. someone dies in a house with no signs of. forced entry or break-in. So, meaning. every resident, every guest in that. house is suddenly a suspect. The pink. house would have its own locked house. mystery. It's a typical locked house. scenario. You've got a limited number of. suspects. They're all somewhat. interpersonally connected with the. victim, a confined space, and then a. death. But in the pink house, there was an open. door policy. Anyone was allowed to come.

and go as they pleased. And in the. middle of this giant celebration, someone screams, "I'm going to die!" The. lights shut off, and suddenly every. guest, every caterer, every neighbor, extended family, friends, everyone is a. suspect. It just becomes that much more. complicated because you don't know who. slipped in and out unnoticed. You don't. The timeline is fuzzy. To place every. single person in which room, what they. had access to, what they were doing, what if they were lying about what. they're doing? All of this gets even more messy when.

the authorities don't even realize it's. murder until a decade later. The pink house resident list consists of. the Thomas family, the Thomas parents, Ann and Tom, and their adult children, and a grandson. But for 10 days, I mean, the pink house was absolute. The pink house would be open to any and. all guests, known or unknown to the. family during the festival of Onam. celebrations. Meaning anybody who needs. a place to be was more than welcome to. be at the pink house.

Now, this is not really something that's. out of the norm for the area. Festival. of Onam is a 10-day celebration that is. literally based off of community, the. collective human spirit. It's literally. time for everyone to get together, come. find strength within one another. Guests. are shuffling in and out of the house. I. mean, the kitchen is packed with people. trying to push past each other to finish. their little dish. There's people. washing, cutting vegetables, measuring. ingredients, just these massive mounds. of bright orange carrots on the kitchen. island, green beans piled high in the.

little colanders. In the living room, men are setting up chairs and tables. They're arranging the seating. They're. hanging up the flower decorations for. the festival of Onam. That's what it's. known for. Some of the kids are tasked. with laying out banana leaves on the. table. So, first, you need to find. large, fresh, green, unblemished banana. leaves. Then you have to give them a. good rinse, pat them dry with a clean. cloth, or you let them air dry. When it. comes to placing them on the table, you. want it positioned so that the tip of.

the leaf, the pointer, is pointing. towards the left to the person that who. will be eating from it. Cuz it's going to serve as a plate. Mhm. So, it's all organized. It all points to. the left when it comes to arranging the. food on the banana leaf. Typically, salt. is placed at the left corner of the. leaf. Pickles and chutneys go on the top. right. Main dishes go straight in the. center, and then the various side dishes. go around the entree. And it's so. fascinating because the veins of the. banana leaf keep from all of the juices.

merging together. Mhm. August 22nd, 2002. Leela Thomas is in. the pink house kitchen. She's cooking. She's listening to the loud. conversations in the dining room. She's. yelling at the kids, "Hey, put the. banana leaf down.". Lila is interrupted by her mom, Ann Ann. Thomas, who walks into the kitchen and. she grabs a glass of water. She doesn't look good. Lila's kind of. worried about her, but her mom just. shakes her off. "It's fine. It's fine. I'm just I think it's fatigue. It's been.

so loud in the house with this non-stop. music during the celebrations. I'm just. going to go lay in my room.". Lila nods, but she's a little concerned. In the past few weeks alone, her mom has. already been hospitalized twice. Each. time, the doctors did not have a precise. answer for what was wrong. They would. send Ann back home with some holistic. medicine, and they would just hope for. the best. Lila, her daughter, is not. hopeful. She thought about stopping. mid-recipe, but another family member. walks into the kitchen and starts. prepping a bowl of soup. "I'm going to.

bring some soup up to mom.". So, Lila goes back to her dish, but the. more she cooks, the more she starts. feeling this like nagging sense of. unease. She's like, "I can't do it anymore. I'm. not even focusing on my cooking." She. wipes her hands on the apron, decides to. go check up on her mom. It's been about. 20 minutes since soup has been brought. up to her. She just wants to check and. see if her mom made it. Is she okay? Is. she taking a nap? Lila is weaving through all the people. in the busy house. She walks upstairs to. her mom's room, and it is the strangest.

sight. Her mom, Ann, is laying on the. bed, leaning up against the window, and. she just has silently tears streaming. down her face. "Oh my god, what happened?". "Call everyone.". "I'm going to die.". What? Lila runs out of the room. She's trying. to get everybody's attention, or at. least the attention of somebody that can. help her, but the music is so loud. So, instead of finding each stereo, turning. down the music, Lila runs to shut the. power off of the house. The lights go.

off. "Hurry! Someone help me!". The Thomas brothers, they can recognize. their little sister's voice from. anywhere. They could also tell this is. serious. So, they rush to the sound of. Lila's voice. They run into their mom. Anne's room following Lila's lead, and. their mother is laying there convulsing. Her body is jerking around. She tries to. grab at her adult children, "I can't. breathe. I'm dying." Mother Anne is. quickly taken to the hospital. There was. a white frothy substance that is coming.

out of her mouth. She's literally. foaming at the mouth. Within 5 minutes, the doctors pronounced. her dead. And a little 5' 4" tall woman, soft-spoken with big round eyes, gets. out of the Jeep that drove Anne to the. hospital. She walks straight up to the doctors who. just pronounced her dead. It was a heart attack, wasn't it? Yeah, I mean, just moments before she. collapsed, she's complaining of chest. pains. So, if you knew the family tree.

intimately, you could potentially. recognize that she was Anne's distant. niece by way of marriage. But, if you're. like the doctors, if you're like you, and you don't know the giant Thomas. family tree, Mhm. you would ask, "And what's your relation. to the deceased?". Oh, right. I'm her daughter-in-law. I'm. married to her son, Roy. So, they're they're cousins. Wait a minute. Hold on. This is Anne's niece, but also her daughter-in-law. Oh, Anne's son married.

his cousin. By marriage, yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. When it comes to talking about. someone, okay, there's two ways people. go about it. When they're around, it's. all smiles. "Oh, Roy, he he's a gentle, kind soul. I mean, he's a bit. introverted, that's all. Very shy.". Or two, when you don't think anyone is. listening. "Roy's a loser. Lazy, too, yeah.". That's what the neighbor said about Roy. We have no way of knowing which version.

is true, but we do know that on paper. Roy and his cousin Shaju, they have a. lot in common. They're both shy and. introverted. They mainly keep to. themselves. I mean, make of that what. you will, right? They both grew up in. well-off families. Their parents were. the financially stable ones. Neither of. them had this intense crazy pressure to. work, and they would both make a single. decision that would destroy their. families. It would set off a chain of. events that would kill their closest. family members one by one until six of.

them are dead. Both of them would marry their cousins. Roy's cousin Shaju, I mean, he must have. known to some degree about the deaths in. the pink house. Everyone in town is. whispering about how cursed the house. is. There's no way that he missed it. How could he not? It's literally his. cousin's side of the family that are. dying in there. It's like his aunt. It's. his uncle. They're dying. It was always a thought that crossed his. mind, though. Maybe the family's cursed. But if he's just my cousin, that means. I'm not cursed, though, right? Like.

whatever dark entities are cursing that. family, technically the pink house, they're the Thomases. I'm a Zachariah. So, that that means the curses are. attached to names, aren't they? Besides, it's not like he even lives in the pink. house. May 1st, 2014, the curse would move into. Shaju's home. Shaju had lost his aunt. and uncle Tom, cousin Roy, uncle Manny. They all died mysteriously, and now he. was going to lose one of his own. And it. seemed like now the curse is deciding.

which one of Shaju's loved ones to take. His wife Silly, his 10-year-old son, or. his sickly 2-year-old daughter. Just like at the party of the pink. house, the day that Ann died, Shaju. threw a party as well at his house. It's. a communion celebration for his. 10-year-old son. There's hundreds of. people shuffling in and out throughout. the day. And at the center of this party. is not his son, but rather his. 2-year-old daughter Alfin. She's running. around like a tornado. She's being. passed from auntie to auntie because her.

parents are so busy with their big. brother's big day. And near the end of. the celebrations, she's running laps. around these adults and they're like, "It's time for some food. Like you got. to sit down and you got to eat your. dinner.". Her aunt sits her down, grabs a piece of. bread, dips it into the curry. Here, bite. Chew slowly and make sure to. swallow. Alfin smiles before she takes a bite and. then runs off again with the other kids. to play. "Alfin, you come back here. You. need to eat.". Alfin would find her way back to her. aunt's lap. Another piece of bread.

ripped off, dipped in curry, and placed. in front of her mouth. Bite, chew, swallow. But the minute that that bite hits her. throat, Alfin starts coughing and. screaming. Her parents rush over. They're so embarrassed. I mean, she'd. always been kind of a picky eater, but. even so, I mean, this is like a tantrum. that she's throwing. It's a little bit. out of character. They're thinking, "If she doesn't eat. now, she's only going to get more and. more hungry and more and more cranky. throughout the day." So, they strike a. deal with the two-year-old. The auntie. leans down and says, "One more bite and.

you can go play all you want, Alfin.". She takes one more bite. Bread, curry, bite, chew, swallow. Alfin would be hospitalized immediately. and she would be dead in 3 days. The doctor said the cause of death was. choking. Shaju wouldn't find out until years. later that it was murder. So, within those 2 years, Shaju's just. trying to comfort his devastated wife. and he's trying to be this stable figure. for his son. He's too busy. He's swept.

up by all this grief that he doesn't. even think about the family curse. He. doesn't even think about the pink house. anymore. If he had just taken a single. moment just to think a little bit. longer, a tiny bit deeper, maybe he would have seen that there's. one person that is at the center of all. of the family tragedies. First, the tragedies in the pink house. and now his. And one more would die in. his family. But this would be someone that he and. his wife would let into their own home.

They would welcome this person with open. arms like family. Lila Thomas had moved out of the pink. house. I mean, she can't really bear to. be there anymore, not after everything. that's happened anyway. Back when she. was a kid, she would run around the. giant tree in the yard with all of her. two older brothers, Roy and Arnav. They. would chase her around threatening to. stick a caterpillar She would escape. into her room and she would just lay. down with a book open and the afternoon. sun would hit her and she would just. feel so sleepy. And by the time that she. wakes up from her nap, it's dinner time.

Her parents, Ann and Tom Thomas, they. would always have the neighbors over for. dinner. I mean, it's customary, open. door policy at the pink house. So, this. giant gate surrounding the entire. property, it was never locked. That was. when they were kids. The three Thomas. siblings, Roy, Arnav, and Lila, they'd. all grown up. And of the five Thomas. members, only two of them are still. alive. It's like the house is eating. people alive. Once you step foot into. that pink house, it grips onto you. It. decides whether or not it wants to let. you go, let you leave, or if it wants to.

keep you forever. It wants to plant you. with the tree. And for years, Lila had. no idea. Is this a curse of the family? Are we just unlucky? Is it the house? Is. there like, I don't know, toxic mold. infesting the house? Because why are. three people dying in there? She's. trying to bend over backwards thinking. of any sort of reasoning behind why her. whole family left her so early. But now, now she has the evidence in her hands. She knows exactly what killed her. family. Or rather, she knows who killed.

her family. And right now, there are two. people inside of the pink house that. Lila needs to save. She calls her. nephew. Hello? Where are you right now? Are you in the house? Hurry. Go take a. piece of clothing or a bedsheet and. stuff it in your mouth and your. brother's mouth. Avoid falling asleep. Don't eat anything. Don't drink water or. anything from inside of that house. Do. you hear me? I'm on my way right now. Hurry. Right now. Are you getting the. bed sheet? Are you? Lila is already in her car when she. hears knocking on the other side of the. call. She can hear her nephew Remo.

opening the door to his bedroom and him. saying, "Why are you standing here? Are you. trying to listen to me? What are you trying to hear?". Lila realizes the killer is standing. outside her nephew's bedroom door and. then the line goes dead. The voice speaking to Remo on the other. side of the line is muted. It's a little. muffled. Lila didn't hear every single. word that was said, but she had never. been more sure of anything in her whole. life. Her brother Roy had not taken his. own life. Her brother Roy.

was killed. Lila's nephew Remo remembers that night. so well. He woke up from a deep sleep. His eyes were squinting from the light. and he's confused. "Why are the lights. on in the bedroom?" He glances out the. window. "Oh my god, it's so dark. outside. Why are the lights on?" And. then from his peripheral vision, he sees. someone and he almost jumps out of his. own skin. "Oh my god, Auntie, what are. you doing here?". She's sitting in a chair, spine stiff as. a board. She's slightly leaning forward. as if she had been waiting for him to. wake up this whole time. Her lips are.

just like in a thin straight line and. she glances at Remo's little brother, Reynolds. He's still asleep. Remo quickly catches on and gently. nudges his brother awake. "Okay, okay, wake up. What's going on, Auntie? Is. something wrong?". "Your father slipped and fell in the. bathroom. Your mother and your uncle. Manny are taking him to the hospital. right now.". "What?". Remo's trying to shake off the. sleepiness from his mind. He's like, "What do you What do you mean he slipped. and fell in the bathroom? What Is he. okay?". He gets up from his bed with his brother. and they follow his aunt down to the.

ground floor. Someone set up a framed. photo of their father on the table and. it was surrounded by these candles and. flowers. "Is this like a show of support or. something? Is it for like a prayer?". He would learn that day. that it was an altar. Their dad gets taken to the hospital and. someone sets up an altar. Like they don't know if he's dead? It seems like the timing doesn't make. sense. It doesn't seem like they know. that he's dead. So someone set it up ahead of time. Yeah. Their dad was dead. The kids initially.

thought, okay, maybe it's a trip and. fall in the bathroom. Did he hit his. head on the tub? But eventually they. were told it's a self-exit. That's what their mother, Roy's wife, told them. I mean, who are they not to. believe her? That's their mom. I mean, really, who who would question her? Leela Thomas didn't even question her. But now, now she's got all the proof. She has her brother's autopsy in her. hands. Cherry red skin, small. hemorrhages in the skin, a distinct. bitter almond smell. Everything that she. knew from the night of the murder was.

wrong. The night of Roy's death, Roy had just. come home from a night out with his. cousin Matthew. It's a Friday night, so. he's expected a late night home. Likely. he would swing up in the door into the. pink house and his wife and two young. sons would be watching the TV in the. living room. That's what he's thinking. But when he walks in, it's unusually. quiet. The lights are off in the living. room. He checks in the kitchen. There's. just a bowl of rice and chickpea curry. waiting for him next to a tall glass of. water. Roy smirks. He takes a seat at. the table. I mean, his wife is always.

thinking about him, just thinking ahead. to the fact that he might be hungry when. he gets home. His mouth starts watering. I mean, the roasted coconut, the sautéed. onions and garlic, the chickpeas, curry. leaves, the combination is like the. perfect balance of spicy, citrusy, it's. a little bit nutty. Roy digs his spoon. into the curry, takes a mouthful. He would spend the rest of the night in. the bathroom. I mean, strange. He'd always been one. that can handle the spice rather well. Jolly wakes up to the sound of a gurgle.

A sort of wet splattering sound that. sounds like it's coming from deep inside. someone's throat. Like if you're. gargling mouthwash, but also. simultaneously choking on it. And then. it turns into this very strong retching. noise. It sounds violent, like the. person's stomach is trying to turn. itself inside out. The sound is wet, almost viscous. The gagging, the. retching, the heaving. Jolly opens her. eyes, straining her ears to hear more. Then she gets up, calmly walks to the. kitchen, passing the medicine cabinet, heads over to the table where she spots.

her husband's half-eaten curry. She can hear the clear, distinct sound. of someone vomiting. The splattering sound, and it just keeps. going on forever. And then the sound of. someone trying to catch their breath. before it starts all over again. That's what she hears. She reaches out, scoops up the. half-touched bowl of curry and the empty. water glass, brings them over to the. kitchen sink, and starts doing the dishes. She makes. sure to scrub and rinse every bit of.

that curry off. She's wiping the plates. dry. She's placing them back in the. cabinet. Jolly's always like to keep a. tidy house. That's what perfect wives. do. I mean, all the while, like a. perfect wife, she kept her ears strained. for Roy's continued gasping and retching. in the bathroom. Wait. What was that? She stops. She wipes her hands on her. nightgown, and she walks to the. bathroom. She puts her ear up to the. door, and she's just listening. She. crinkles her eyebrows, and she's trying.

to understand what's going on on the. other side. She's glancing at the. staircase to make sure that neither of. their their sons are walking down the. stairs. And 15 minutes later, Jolly. finally hears exactly what she was. listening for. Silence. Her husband, Roy Thomas, was dead in the. bathroom. Jolly calls for help, and then. she faints. Neighbors and family members rush into. the house. I mean, they had to break. down the bathroom door. And once they. did, they find Roy Thomas, father of. two, husband of Jolly, first son of the.

Thomas family of the Pinkhouse, dead. But it wasn't just that he was found. dead. His mouth was open and there was a. foam, like a white frothy substance. spilling out of it. Before Roy Thomas. could even be declared dead, which he. would be very quickly, the whispers. already start traveling around the town. Did you hear? The oldest of the Thomas. siblings, he died. I mean, just. suddenly. They're saying it's a heart. attack. He's only 40. Poor Jolly, and. their two boys still so young. Lila. heard those whispers, too. She rushed. home that night that her brother passed,

but also she heard other conversations. take place, private ones. She saw Jolly faint and family members. huddling in a corner. They're trying to. keep their tones hushed so that Jolly. doesn't hear. Roy had always been a big. drinker, and it had only gotten worse. lately. There was also that black magic. stuff that apparently he was into. Jolly said that he had debts, like. thousands of dollars of debt, and it's. it's pretty obvious he took his own. life. Well, we're just going to have to tell. everyone that it was a heart attack. If. the town finds out that he self-exited,

leaving his wife and children with his. debt, it's going to tarnish the family. name. The boys are already traumatized. as it is. Why would we put them through. that? And at the time, Lila believed it. It. kind of made sense. Even Lila helped. keep everything under wraps. I mean, she. would repeat the family cover. He had a. heart attack. It was an unfortunate. genetic heart condition. Might run in. the family. We miss him oh so very much. Jolly's doing her best to raise her. children as a single mom. But over time, as Lila keeps repeating. the story, she realizes with each.

retelling, she believes it less and. less. Three deaths in the Pinkhouse? What are the odds? Her mom, then her. dad, and then her brother? She requested his autopsy. Time of. death, 11:20 p.m. Stomach contents, curry and rice, undigested. Cause of. death, cyanide poisoning. Lila's hands gripped the paper. Her mind. is racing. Wait, wait. No. She She a conversation with Jolly. the night of Roy's death. She remembers. it so vividly. I mean, yeah, she's thick. in her grief and shock at that time, but.

she remembered it because it's. important. Jolly had told her, "Roy came. home at around 3:00 p.m. For lunch, he. had curry and rice. Then at night, he. said that he wasn't hungry, so I went to. the kitchen to fry up some eggs, and. that's when he walked into the restroom. When I was done, I tried to get him to. come out, but he wouldn't even open the. bathroom door.". She had said that, but that doesn't make. any sense. It doesn't match up with the. autopsy results. The autopsy stated that. his death was 11:20 p.m. There were. undigested food in his stomach, curry. and rice. But Jolly had told her that he.

ate the curry around 3:00 p.m. There's. no way it would still be undigested at. the time of his death. So, why on earth. would she lie about something like that? About what he had for dinner or what. time he ate. Because cyanide. Cyanide takes effect. almost instantly after exposure. Lila. did think it was odd that her brother. would choose to self-exit with cyanide. It's a very difficult to obtain poison, and it feels like utter hell to ingest. Like, why would he do that to himself?

Lila's mind starts racing, and she's. putting two and two together. If Roy. hadn't eaten dinner and just lunch, the. food in his stomach would have already. been digested, but it wasn't. The food. had to have been eaten later, for. dinner. But Jolly said he didn't have. dinner. She said, "At night, he didn't. have dinner. At night, he didn't have. dinner. At night, he didn't have. dinner." Lila remembered her repeating. this same story to every single person. that she met. Lila was racing to the pink house to get. her nephews out of there before it was. too late. Because the killer.

the killer is in the house with them. It was their own mother, Jolly. She screamed into the phone, "Do not eat. anything under any circumstances. There. might be cyanide in your house. Your. mother might try to kill you.". Lila remembers all the love letters that. her brother received, her brother Roy. They were probably somewhere inside of. that pink house. They were full of. flattery, promises of the future, and at. the end of each letter was a signature, Jolly Joseph, with cute little loopy. letters and hearts. Everything ended.

with Jolly. Lila had already gone to the police by. this point. She turned in everything. that she could as evidence. She rushes. to her old family home, and when she. gets there, her nephews I mean, the. entire house is a mess. There is insects. everywhere, dirty dishes, rotting food, the smell is pungent. Lila barely. notices. She rushes into her nephew's. room, "Bring only what's important to. you. Quickly, we have to go.". As they're leaving, the sky flashes. bright, lightning, and then boom, thunder strikes. So, how long after was this? Like the.

mom mom, dad, husband all died in like what kind of. time span? Six years. So, it's it's a long long process. She would not be caught for 14 years. And when was Lila like trying to get the. kids out? 14 years later. since her mom's death. Oh, this is like complete out of the. blue. Uh yeah. Type of. Because of a funeral. Oh, okay. Oh, yeah. We're going to get into it. So, thunder strikes. Lila stops.

momentarily at the gates of the pink. house. The pink house it used to always remain. unlocked. I mean, it would welcome. anyone in for a warm meal or a place to. stay. Every Christmas, the pink house. used to turn into this pink and green. color because of the Christmas lights. It used to be a home. But now the place looks abandoned and. sinister more than anything else. Like. the pink house was where most of her. family members had died, and everything. started and ended with Jolly. Lila looks back at the gate, and then at.

the sky, and she says, "I did what I. could.". It was a message for her family. They. were all dead. Jolly had killed almost. all of them, but Lila felt like they. could hear her. They were with her. They. were encouraging her to take Jolly down. Her mom, her dad, her brother, her. uncle, baby Alphina, and even. Silly. Silly gets up from the bed when she. hears the front door ring. She looks. over at the calendar hanging on the. wall. It had been 2 years since her baby. Alphina had died in a freak choking. accident at her son's party. 2 years of.

just her feeling like a zombie, just. shuffling around, moving around people, trying to smile so that other people. feel comfortable around you, and trying. to regain some sort of control over her. life. Silly was trying to get pregnant again. She thought, "Maybe if I have another. girl, maybe Alphina would live inside of. her, you know? She'll live on.". But even that wasn't working out. She. had been on holistic medicines to keep. up her chances, but her body was weak. She had been hospitalized a few times. since her daughter's death, which. initially she thought it was stress or.

perhaps depression, but she presented. the same symptoms as her baby girl, difficulty swallowing, stomach burning, headache, nausea. It's like baby Alphina was trying to. tell her something from the grave. Or. maybe she was upset with her mom for. letting this happen. Regardless, Silly gets up, walks to the. door. Her friend was supposed to come. over that day and try to cheer her up. She was really the only support system. that Silly had. It doesn't get rid of. any of the pain, but it it does help her. feel not so alone. She turns the lock to the front door,

opens it wide, and smiles softly. "Hey Jolly.". It was a small gathering. Some people. would argue it's a family gathering, but. that's besides the point. Jolly's there, moving through the crowd, smiling and. nodding. I mean, even after everything. that she's been through, her first. husband Roy died mysteriously, and now. she's a single mom of two. It sucks. Even after all that tragedy though, Jolly is still able to try and be. jolly. She's bright, and she's got the. ability to talk to anybody and hold a.

gripping conversation, but today she. seems distracted. If you were in a. conversation with her, she would keep. looking away, and then her eyes would. follow someone from across the room. while you're talking to her, and she. "Uh-huh. Yeah. No, I've never been there. before. She slides up to her relative. I want to marry someone like him. What? Look at him. He's so. peaceful, calm. She's motioning her head towards Shaju. Zacharias. Jolly's relative is a little bit. shocked. I mean, confused really,

because everyone at the gathering knew. that Shaju was married and had two. children of his own. Uh but not only. that, Shaju is. technically technically Jolly's cousin. But that's a technicality, right? He's. not really her blood cousin. And. technically, she's done it before when. she married her first husband Roy. Roy. was Jolly's cousin by marriage. They got. married. Roy died mysteriously. Shaju is. Roy's cousin and now Jolly wants to. marry her deceased husband's cousin. But. since her deceased husband was her.

distant cousin, she married her cousin, then met her cousin's cousin. Roy Thomas was the firstborn son of the. Thomas family. The Thomas parents, I. mean, they had been going down a mental. checklist of all the potential wives for. Roy that they recently saw. They never. got around to playing matchmaker just. quite yet, but they knew that the clock. is ticking. He's got to get married. soon. They know that. They just didn't. know that Roy would walk into the pink. house with a woman standing next to him. ready to introduce her. Hi Mom and Dad, I'd like you to meet my fiance. Roy's parents are staring at him like he.

sprouted a second head. Son, that is. your cousin. The first time Jolly and Roy met was at. a family function as well, but they. didn't know that they were cousins at. that point. So again, technically, they're not blood cousins. They're. cousins by marriage through Uncle Manny. Uncle Manny is Roy's blood uncle, his. mom's brother. Uncle Manny is also Jolly's uncle. because he married Jolly's aunt. I mean, does that is that happen.

usually, you think? I. I think it's not encouraged, for sure. I. I'm I'm it does happen and I'm sure it. can be love, and technically it's not I. don't know. Genetically, does that I. don't think so. I think it just makes it. a little bit confusing. I don't think. it's bad. I wouldn't necessarily cast. judgment. It's just a little I think. it'd be interesting to adjust for the. whole family. Mhm. So, for this case, it was like, "Huh, did you know she married. technically her cousin?". Yeah, and then would marry her cousin's. cousin. So, there was a lot going on.

So, Uncle Manny and Roy, blood. relations. Uncle Manny and Jolly, family. relations through marriage. Both Jolly. and Roy were invited to Uncle Manny's. housewarming, where they walked in, and. they were just likely coconuts. everywhere. Coconuts are one of the more. popular housewarming gifts in India. It's supposed to bring good luck and. positive energy into the home. They're. hovering over a table of coconuts, staring into each other's eyes, and it's. love at first sight. They try to fight. it because, you know, they're cousins. But, after countless.

late-night secret phone calls and these. little love letters that they would. write to each other's houses, there was. no denying it. They were going to get. married and live happily ever after not. as cousins, but as husband and wife. Roy's parents stared at Roy and Jolly, who are now sitting on their living room. couch. Tom Thomas is like, "No.". "What do you mean, no?". "No.". "Yeah, I I mean, no.". Tom Thomas, Roy's dad, did not like this.

even a little bit. Ann, the mom, on the other hand, she was. quiet the whole time. She was thinking. Ann's a teacher, which, side note, obviously being a teacher anywhere is a. big deal, and you're literally guiding. the future generations. But, in India, it's a bit more of a prestigious job. than the US. It's a lot harder of a. position to get, and teachers are often. referred to as gurus of India. So, while. teachers in the US are appreciated, they. might not be as respected as teachers in. India. So, like, keep that in mind. Now, Tom was also in the education field. He. was an officer for the state's education.

department for the local town. Everyone. comes to this couple for advice. That's. why they have an open door policy. But. in the pink house, when it's just them, Tom turns to Anne. She's the matriarch. of the family, and Tom would wait for. Anne's word. I like her. Every trick question that Anne had set. up for Jolly to trip on, she passed. "What do your parents do for work. again?" "Oh, they're humble farmers, but. they're well-respected in our town for. their unwavering dedication to the. harvest and of course their hard work.".

"What about school?" "I was the first in. my family to attend college. I graduated. with a master's of commerce.". That's basically a master's degree in. business. It is very, very impressive, a. higher degree than Roy, their own son. Anne could see herself having. intellectually stimulating conversations. with Jolly. I mean, both of them are. headstrong, independent women who have a. vision of their own that's separate from. men. And they could be the guiding. future for all the other girls in their. small town to freaking go after what. they want with such aggression that men.

will step out of the way for you. Anne. could see them getting along really. well. She smiled at Jolly. Meanwhile, Jolly smiled back and she looked around. at the spacious living room, the. servants preparing tea for them in the. kitchen, ushering it over, placing it in. front of Jolly to drink. The minute that. she's done and that empty teacup lands. on the coffee table, it's whisked back. away into the kitchen. Not a single. dirty teacup lingering on the coffee. table or any surface of this house. She smiles back at Anne.

Because she could see herself living. here. With all the staff tending to her every. need, she felt. right at home already. Unfortunately, there is only room for. one head of the house. If there were guidelines, like a rule. book on being the best daughter-in-law, Jolly could have written it. The rules. are technically endless, but if you had. to nail at least four of the crucial. ones, you'd be set. One, be the family. therapist. Listen to everyone's problems. and offer not the best advice. Offer the.

advice that they want to hear. Jolly was even winning Tom over with. this rule. He's coming around and seeing. her as a confidant, an asset to the. Thomas family, an asset to the pink. house. Two, never be disagreeable, but always. get your way. The art of gentle. manipulation and persuasion. Mom, mother-in-law, you have such a classic. timeless sense of style. I mean, this. floral arrangement is incredible. But I I did see a similar one at. Valerie's party the other day and I was. thinking maybe we could add some more. modern touches to really showcase how. you always set the trends for everyone.

in the town. You lead and the town. follows. Three, learn to cook an unforgettable. dish. Mother, I'm telling you you have. not lived until you've tried my mutton. soup. I've got a secret blend of spices. that warm you from the inside out. I. mean, it's positively to die for. And four, be resourceful and solve. problems before they arise. Oh, and. probably the most important rule, like. it's so important it doesn't even need a. spot on the list, is secure your place. in the family and be the one to carry on.

the family name. Jolly Joseph was pregnant with the. Thomas's very first grandbaby. Ann is smiling down at her newborn. grandbaby, a grandson. She looks up at. Jolly with just so much pride in her. eyes. You did so good. You handled that. birth perfectly. I am so proud of you. Jolly gives her mother-in-law a weak. smile back. I mean, she had done it. She'd She'd really done it. She couldn't. have asked for anything more. I mean, it. was just right. The timing, too, it was.

perfect. Ann had been nagging her to get. a job recently. Put that master's degree. to use. But Jolly has no such desire to. work. I mean, if she was going to work, why did she move into the pink house and. marry jobless Roy? That doesn't make. sense. So now, with the delivery of the. Thomas's first grandson, Jolly would. have all the rights, all the power in. the pink house. The mother of the first. grand baby would not have to work. She. would have the luxury to kick her feet. up on the coffee table, lounge around.

and have the staff care for her and her. baby and whatever she wants on the whim. Jolly is watching Anne fawn over her. baby. This is perfect Jolly. I'm. absolutely in love with this baby. Now. you can get a job and let me retire to. watch your child forever. What? The plan has backfired. Jolly would. stall. She doesn't want to go to work. So instead she went and got a teaching. certificate in another town. That took. about a year. Then when she got back she. started with the excuses. The baby is so. small. Who's going to take care of him? Anne would sit there listening to the.

compiled list of reasons that Jolly. would prepare for her. You know, on why. she can't work. It likely went something. along the lines of I know you mean well, but I think right now the priority is. the baby. You know, critical for bonding. and you know what they say. I need to be. there for the feeding and the moments. and can you imagine? Research shows how. important it is for babies to have a. strong attachment to their mothers and I. don't want to miss out on that. My body. needs time to heal. You know, and and. then the sleepless night. Childcare is. very pricey. Not many teaching jobs in.

this area, you know. So I think you know. what I think, right? When Jolly was done she looked up and. she would see Anne smiling at her. She. hasn't said a single word in this. conversation. Do you. Um mother, what do you. We got a job interview for you. Anne pulled some strings to get Jolly an. interview for a teaching position at the. local school. It honestly would have. been like hot knife through butter, easy. But Jolly comes back from the. interview tail tucked between her legs.

I'm not sure why they rejected me on the. spot. Anne and Tom Thomas, they're confused. Why would they do that? Jolly is perfect. for the job. If anything she's over. qualified. Oh my god. Because she's a new mom. They're discriminating. They think that. her son is going to hold her back in. life. And you know what? We're going to prove them wrong. Jolly just nodded, but she knew that's. not why she wasn't hired. She didn't get. the job because she never showed up for. the interview. How do you apply for a. teaching position when you don't even. have a teaching certificate? Jolly also.

knew that if she said no once more to. her mother-in-law, she would be. considered disagreeable, difficult to be. around, and that would go against the. rules of being a good daughter-in-law. What are the main four ones again? One, be the family therapist. Two, never. be disagreeable, but always get your. way. Three, learn to cook an. unforgettable dish. And four, be. resourceful and solve problems before. they arise. Jolly was creative. It was a skill that. had served her really well her whole. life, and it was going to again, right. now. Jolly was just starting to get.

frustrated because she just couldn't get. the dosages right. Yeah, and it was. frustrating her. Ann just wasn't dying. You got to give it to her. Ann was. holding on. The first time Jolly tried. to kill Ann, it wasn't enough at all. Ann just complained about indigestion, closed the door to her room, and she was. good after a good night's rest. The. second time, Jolly upped the dosage, and. when Ann started convulsing, rushed to. the hospital, Jolly's thinking second. time's the charm, but one hospital. visit, some ancient holistic medicine. later, Ann gets right back to nagging.

Jolly's ear off about going back to. work. So, maybe it's not the amount. Maybe it's the drug. Up until now, Jolly had been using. whatever she could get her hands on, just around the house, around the. neighborhood. So, it's time to change it. up. Time to test out a new drug. She. needed something stronger. Dog kill. Jolly remembered her dad used it on a. childhood pet of theirs once. He didn't. like how the dog was such a nuisance to. the visitors, so he killed it. But. obviously, it's deadly, which makes it. not the easiest thing to obtain, and.

Jolly would have to travel to a. completely different town, use a fake. name, make an excuse, ask for a. prescription for dog kill, beg for a. prescription for dog kill. The dog in. town has rabies. It's going to hurt a. small child eventually. Unless then. Jolly would travel to another town to a. separate pharmacy to pick up the. prescription. Now, if that's not. resourceful, I don't know what is. She. even tested on her other precious pet. And she loved that dog. She really did. I mean, she took no joy in seeing the. dog withering away in pain for 4 hours.

First 2 hours, the dog started barking. like crazy and running around in circles. in a frenzy. Its eyes were blown out and. wild. Within the next 2 hours, it was. collapsed on the ground with its limbs. out in these uncontrollable jerky. movements growing more and more violent. by the second. She did not enjoy that. Probably. But at least you knew that it. worked. Jolly had been the definition of. the perfect daughter-in-law. One, be the. family therapist. Two, never be. disagreeable, but always get your way. And be resourceful and solve problems. before they arise.

And wait. There's one that she's. missing. Rule number three. Learn to cook an unforgettable dish. Her specialty, mutton soup. The key to. her dish was the perfect blend of. spices, turmeric, coriander, masala, and. pepper. Most recipes would suggest. serving the soup hot with rice or bread, but Jolly would be serving it with an. extra ingredient, specially for Ann. Dog kill. It would be an unforgettable dish. Jolly's routine every day was. meticulous. The alarm would go off, she.

would swing her legs off the bed, they. would hit the floor with a thud. The. morning routine was simple. Brush teeth, wash face, get ready, make sure the kids. have breakfast, drive to work going over. lesson plans. Jolly's a professor at. NIT, which is the top engineering school. in all of India. She got a new job. Wait, she did have a job? She gets a new job. Okay. Mhm. Yeah, it's like the best. engineering school in India and she's a. professor there. The questions she's. getting for her lesson plans, I mean,

they're intense. These are not just like. random hee hee ha ha college students. They're the top minds from all over. India and she's teaching them. If she. thought about it too hard, she would. have a panic attack, so she would push. it to the back of her mind. Get to. school, start her lessons, take a quick. working lunch break, get back in her. car, drive 20 minutes back home while on. the phone with students, faculty. members, parents. She would almost. always walk in through the front doors. of the pink house. Did you take the book. from my desk? No, no, it's fine. If it's. from the right stack, just remember to. bring it back after you review the. lessons, okay? Okay, yes, I'll see you.

tomorrow in class. She hangs up. Jolly's kids, they never felt like she. gave them any attention, really. I mean, she's always just going over lesson. plans, on the phone with her boss, grading papers. She would sit there with. a stack of papers, a bright red pen, and. when one of the kids would try and play. with her, get some of her attention, she. would put the red pen down, pick up her. child, walk into a room, here you go, play with your dad. Then Jolly would start her second shift. She would take off the school name tag. from around her neck, throw on a.

cardigan over her work outfit, settle. down on the cushy chair in the study, and she would start going through the. family finances, making sure that. everything was balancing at the end. In her favor, that is. A new shift that. she took on after Ann died. Then, when she was done with that night. shift, she would start her third shift. She would change into her night clothes. She starts making dinner, curry for Roy, the kids have their phases of different. foods that they ate, and of course, mashed tapioca every single evening for. her father-in-law. I mean,

it's hard. It's hard as a mom of two to take on all. these different shifts. She felt like. she was being spread really thin, but. she did it for the family. And all that's to say is, she just. doesn't have a lot of extra time, and. she definitely doesn't have any time for. all of the neighborhood gossip. Did you. hear? Jolly's trying to be Ann 2.0, trying to replace her. It's just weird. She started dressing like Ann, but. better. I mean, it's clear that she. spends a lot of money on clothes. And how much money do you think the. professors at NIT even get paid? You. think it's from the Thomas's family. funds that she's using? Well, you know.

how she's been gaining more influence in. the family? Look, I don't know. I'm just. saying she's looking like Anne, she's. acting like Anne. I mean, Thomas single. could be influenced by a nice young. woman in the house. It might be the. smart thing to do. Ew, no. That's clearly very, very false. and fake and just gross. She is having. an affair, but it's not with her. father-in-law. She's sleeping with her cousin. Jolly was allegedly having an affair.

with Roy's cousin. Not Shaju. That would be crazy. Shaju's. married, he's got children. But a cousin named Matthew. Roy's. closest relative. They call him Roy's. philosopher because he always gives Roy. such good advice. So, she's sleeping with another cousin? Yes. Matthew is laying in his cousin Roy's. bed with his cousin Roy's wife, Jolly. She rolls over in bed, brings up the. blanket with one hand to cover herself, and just props her head up with the.

other. Don't you guys use cyanide to. clean gold? Matthew turns to look at his cousin's. wife while he grabs his shirt. I mean, yeah, why? Jolly kicks her feet up. behind her. I I it's just so annoying. It's inconvenient. I just wish I had. some way to get rid of them quickly, you. know, and easily. The rats. There's just. a few rats in the house that I need to. get rid of. Matthew looks at her kind of strangely. Cyanide is not a super common method. used to kill rats. It's a little. overkill in his opinion. But he shrugs. If it gets the job done, right? I guess.

I suppose. But getting the cyanide for Jolly wasn't. going to be a walk in the park. It's. regulated. You can't just pick it up at. the store. Not to mention, it's not that. cheap. He would have to go directly to. his boss, Praji, the owner of the local. jewelry store that Matthew works at. I. mean, Praji has a permit to get cyanide. because you can use it to separate gold. Mhm. But Matthew knew that Praji was someone. that likes a good deal. So, he thought. of everything that Praji would want in a. deal. Two bottles of cyanide in exchange. for two bottles of liquor, $60, and a.

night with Jolly. Wow. The use of shrooms is illegal in most. countries, including the United States. and India. But at any rate, the. mushrooms that Jolly had were not. magical. They were just regular old. mushroom powder in these plastic. capsules, mushroom supplements. They're. anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, stress. relieving, helps to improve energy. levels, and boost immunity, and it's all. natural. But also, so is cyanide, is it. not? Okay, maybe not. But you can find.

it naturally in very minimal doses in. apple seeds and cherry pits, and so it's. justifiable. You say cyanide is in the apple? Apple pits, yeah. Oh. You'd have to eat like 300 apples, though, to get cyanide poisoning. Oh, wow. Yeah. Huh. And right now, Jolly is hovering over. the kitchen counter, emptying out one of. the capsules into the trash. She packs. in some white powder instead. Jolly is. undeniably Thomas's new favorite family. member. He had originally been the most.

against Jolly's marriage to his. firstborn son Roy, but now that Jolly. had moved in and his wife had died, he'd. really come to lean on Jolly a lot. She. really stepped up to the plate, filled. that caregiver role gap that Ann had. left behind. She made sure that he took. his medicine, ate well, spent time. outdoors. Some neighbors thought it was. so sweet, they even said that Tom. treated her more like his daughter by. blood rather than daughter by marriage. But Jolly thought their relationship was. a little bit different. Jolly knew that. she had Tom in the palm of her hand. If.

she wanted him to transfer all the money. from those sales into her account, he. would do it. And he would throw in most. of his life savings as well. If she. wanted him to change his will so that it. would favor her and her husband Roy, he. would do it. Jolly loved it. He was like. her little puppet. And now, Jolly just. needed her puppet to dance for her one. last time. The morning of March 26, 2008, 6:00 p.m. It's an hour before prayer, and it's. also time for Tom to take his daily. mushroom capsule. Jolly walks into Tom's.

study. Tom is hunched over the papers on. his desk. He's been so busy helping a. few teachers from the nearby schools. figure out their taxes. Tom, your pills. Tom looks up from his work, and his eyes. just find Jolly's face. He beams, and he. brings his arms up outstretched. dramatically. What would I do without. you, Jolly? Jolly hands him the capsules with water, smiling back at him. No, it was more. what she could do without him. Tom obediently swallows the capsule and.

returns to work. But immediately, he. starts feeling a little dizzy. He tries. to take a big deep breath to steady. himself, but the dizziness only. intensifies. He clutches the desk in. front of him. His heart starts racing. He's anxious. He's like, Jolly, Jolly? Jolly is by his side. She's unnervingly. calm. Yes, Tom? Suddenly, there's a sharp pain that's. just tearing through his chest. He falls. over on his chair, doubling over, and. Jolly's just watching as her. father-in-law is vomiting all over the. floor, all over her feet. He begins to.

convulse uncontrollably as if his limbs. are being jerked around like strings, like he's a puppet. And then, his body goes still. He would be pronounced dead at the. hospital. Lila, the daughter, would. later question Jolly, Why did it take so. long for him to be taken to the. hospital? I just don't get it. Jolly shrugged, I couldn't find the car. keys, so it took some time. Tom's cause of death was ruled a heart. attack. Just like his wife, Ann, six. years prior, their son, Roy, Jolly's. husband, would follow three years later.

by self-exit. The pink house is starting to gain a. reputation. Three sudden deaths in a. family within nine years, all under. suspicious circumstances, but somehow. all explained away. It's almost as if. the priest's words were coming true. If you don't put up a wall around the. well, three people will die. Poor Jolly. Her beloved family members taken out one. after the other. Maybe she should have listened to the. omens. Does your left palm itch? If it does,

you should watch your spending. Go find. your wallet, hold it tight. Or when's. the last time you cut your nails at. night? Be careful because they say every. time you clip your nails, you're cutting. your chances of joining your loved ones. in the happy afterlife. Or have you. recently seen a black butterfly? I mean, no big deal or anything, but. that just basically means that your. impending death is near. These are all the bad omens that some. people believe in. Even if you don't. subscribe to these beliefs, you have to. admit they're kind of they're kind of in. the back of your mind once you know. them, no? Tonight, so if you decide to.

cut your nails while watching this. video, you might second-guess for a. split second. Wait, should I just wait. till morning? Maybe while you cut your nails at night, the whole house is quiet and you feel. like every little click, you hear a. creak downstairs. Maybe, maybe not. Lila is not a. superstitious person, and today is not a. superstitious day. Lila's smiling so. many times that her entire face feels so. sore. It's a happy day. She's staring at. her new sister-in-law in her beautiful. wedding gown. I mean, the sight alone is.

confirmation. Superstitions are. incorrect and not at all an indicator of. anything. Lila tries to be in the moment. Her. older brother Roy is finally getting. married, and it's the love marriage, not. an arranged marriage, which nothing's. wrong with that, it's actually the norm, but it's kind of intriguing. It's. exciting for the Thomas family. Lila, being the sister of the groom, should be. the one of the happiest. She's finally. going to get a sister in the pink house. The boys are no longer going to. outnumber her and her mom. She's going.

to have an ally. But every 2 seconds, when Lila tries to. enjoy the celebrations, she would have. this intrusive thought pop up in her. mind. Bad. Bad. Bad omen. She tries to shake it out of her head. mean, there are no such thing as bad. omens. There's just love and happy. marriages. But as she looks out the window of the. church, there's this nagging feeling. One might call it intuition, but it's. like a this pulling in her stomach. She. stares out at the gray window. Rain. Rain is bad. On a normal day, rain is a merely an.

inconvenience. On a wedding day, they. say that every single raindrop is the. tear of the spirits that have been. betrayed, left behind, and killed by. their lovers on their wedding day. Every. little raindrop that falls is filled. with misery, and when it falls and hits. the newlywed couple, it gets absorbed. into their wedding vows, into their. wedding gowns, their suits, even their. skin. The newlywed couple are now taking in. all that pain, anger, sorrow, regret of. the angry spirits. They're just raining. down on them, jealous of happiness. That's what they say about rain on.

wedding days. Lila tries to shake the feeling because. this is just goofy. Roy, her brother, is. happy. Jolly is the best sister-in-law. that she could have asked for. She's. incredibly humble, kind, educated, beautiful. She is the dream girl for. Roy. But even after the wedding, even after. the death of Ann Thomas, Lila's mom, the. death of Tom Thomas, Lila's dad, the. death of Roy Thomas, Lila's brother, Jolly's wife, even after all of that, even after Jolly tried to legally fight. Lila and her other surviving brother,

Arna, for the ownership of the Thomas. family lands and the pink house, even. after all that, Lila just tries to see Jolly for who she. is. Family. Her Jolly sister-in-law. Some people are just very, very unlucky. Neighbors whispered that death stuck to. Jolly Joseph like a wet T-shirt. That's. what they said. Three deaths in the pink house? If you. sat there filling in some sort of. timeline, I mean, it all starts after. Jolly Joseph moves in. She just might be. bad luck. After she moves in, Ann Thomas. dies. Then Tom Thomas dies. Then her.

husband, Roy Thomas, dies, leaving her a. single mom of two. I mean, she must have. done something horrendous in a past life. because the stars are just not working. in her favor. Uncle Manny did not agree with the. baseless rumors. Uncle Manny is Roy's. blood uncle, but he's also Jolly's uncle. by marriage. And he's also a very reasonable and. understanding man. He knew that his. niece Jolly is trying her best with the. really shitty cards that she's dealt. When Ann died, she stepped up to the. plate. She took care of the family. finances. She worked twice as hard to.

manage all their investments. When Tom. died, the father-in-law, she was. devastated. And her husband Roy never. wanted to get a job, but she loved that. man. I mean, that's crazy. Uncle Manny would defend Jolly to. anybody. Well, at least that was before. Uncle Manny remembered Tom's funeral. So, after Tom died, the second death in. the Thomas family, at his funeral, everybody's dressed in black, not a. single smile in the crowd. And if you. were there, thick in the middle of your. own grief, maybe you don't notice the. strange thing. But Uncle Manny did. He.

noticed it. Jolly is standing there. grieving her father-in-law, wiping the. tears from her eyes. And in the corner. of Uncle Manny's eyes, he spots Matthew. Just staring at Jolly. Why would Jolly's husband's cousin be. staring at her like that? I mean, there. was just something there in the look. that he's giving her. And then later, they're talking, but like their. closeness, the way that their bodies. turn at the same time to greet another. relative, the way that their bodies seem. so naturally in sync, that's not normal. for people unless they know each other. intimately.

It was weird. Usually, you're very. awkward and clunky with new people. Uncle Manny is just sitting there. wondering, why is this bothering him so. much? I mean, technically, they're. family members. Matthew is Roy's cousin. Why is this such a big deal? Because Uncle Manny remembered Tom had. told him a while back that he suspected. Jolly of sleeping with Roy's cousin, Matthew. Uncle Manny didn't really take it too. seriously because Tom's getting older, maybe he's paranoid. I mean, that that. can't be true. How ridiculous would that.

be to sleep with your cousin? But after Roy's death, after her. husband's death, Uncle Manny is starting to get a vibe, and he doesn't like it. He had a lot of suspicions about Jolly, and he wanted to do something about it. He starts talking about it. He starts. talking, calling relatives to tell them. his thoughts. February 24th, 2014, Uncle. Manny would be found dead. There was a. lunch sitting cold on his dining table, a special curry made by Jolly. It was not touched.

Because curry isn't the only dish that. cyanide can be mixed into. In Uncle Manny's liquor cabinet was a. half-finished bottle of whiskey. Cyanide. So, she did put cyanide in both? With. Just the whiskey. Not the curry? No. Huh. Because she thought maybe the last one. there was curry, I don't want to do it. again. Oh, wow. But there was a curry. There was a curry. Made by her. Sitting on the dining table.

That's crazy. Wow. There are a number of rules that chefs. have to follow in the kitchen. One. interesting one usually that's only. found in high-pressure Michelin star. kitchens is the no-talking rule, which. means exactly what it sounds like. During service, kitchen staff must work. in complete silence, communicating only. through nods, gestures, and brief eye. contact. The purpose of this rule is to. maintain absolute focus and minimize. distractions and ensure that every dish. is executed flawlessly, which sounds. really unhinged. But then again, this is.

just at some fancy restaurants, right? The basics, everybody knows that. Wash. your hands before and after touching. anything. Keep your nails trimmed and. clean. Make sure you don't have any open. cuts. Jolly knew these rules well. She's a. great cook. But to be honest, Jolly. followed these rules more when she was. out of the kitchen. These rules were. essential in preventing accidental. cyanide poisoning through skin contact, because Jolly handled cyanide regularly. She would have to stick to these rules. like they were a life code. She was.

trying to be safe about killing and she. had allegedly succeeded six times. And. Tom, Roy, Uncle Manny, Baby Alphie, and. now Silly's murder was the most risky. It happened in the waiting room of a. dentist office with patients all around. Even Silly's own son was there. Here, take one of these. It's a mushroom. capsule. It'll help with the headache. Silly had gratefully taken the mushroom. capsule from Jolly and gulped it down. with some water. Minutes later, she. began convulsing, struggling to breathe, and she would die just like that. Just.

like the others. The son is screaming and crying all the. way to the hospital. I mean, his mom. Just 2 years after his sister died, his. mom dies. Jolly's holding her breath, though. Because she could have sworn. she saw Silly's son looking at her when. she offered his mom the pills. Thank god the doctor thought it was. epilepsy. But now is not the time to think about. that, okay? It's a special day. Jolly. and Shaju are getting married. Exactly 1. year after Silly's death, February 2017.

After their intimate wedding, Shaju and. his son would move into the pink house. They would slam the gates closed and. seclude themselves from the world. I. mean, at this point the whispers, they're not even whispers. They're. straight-up screams about the house, the. family, death, the curse, and the new. marriage of the two cousins, Jolly and. Shaju. I mean, most people do not agree. with this marriage. Even Silly's parents. were disgusted that their son-in-law. could have just move on so quickly. But also with Jolly, it's just strange. The neighbors were whispering about the. two cousins as well. So, they just shut.

themselves into the pink house and. started this new life together. But old. habits die hard. Shaju rolls over in bed. one night, rubs his eyes, and he sees. Jolly whispering and smiling while. holding a phone up to her ear. It's odd. He tried to ask Jolly about. it, but she would just shrug it off. He. demanded to see her phone, but she. absolutely refused. I mean, it's pretty. obvious. Shaju thinks that Jolly is. cheating. and she probably is, right? Because the past is hard to let go of. It's comfortable. It's an old sweater. that you just can't get rid of.

But Liela Thomas, she's not letting go. of the past either. Her brother's widow. is now moving on and marrying their. cousin. It's weird. Everything about this is. odd. The Thomas family, I mean, it was. perfectly fine until she came into their. lives. That's when the death started. Sure, you could call it unlucky, but. what if it's not? Liela knows what she. saw Silly's funeral. Silly is Shaju's wife. The weird energy, like all of that. Silly's family and. friends had come over to her house for. Silly's wake, if you will. And Jolly is.

there ushering people in putting. coasters on the table as if this is her. house, as if she's the lady of the. house, the wife. Jolly's managing. everything, the food, the flower. arrangements, getting Silly ready for. the funeral. I mean, it's odd. You would. think that Shaju and Jolly are a couple. and Silly was Jolly's sister or. something. When Jolly wasn't busy micromanaging. every aspect of the funeral, she would. just burst into tears, uncontrollably. crying, and then done. She'd go back to. funeral arrangements, and then go go. back to crying. A lot of people were also whispering, "Why does she seem the saddest?" Like.

it's weird. I get it, it's her friend, but it's just point-blank bizarre. Liela said, "I stood there looking at. all of this, and I still remember how. disturbed I felt. I wasn't even. concentrating on the dead body. I was. just. I was looking at Jolly moving around, bringing things from the other room, doing all the things, and I just saw her. face for a strange moment, and I just. felt weird. I mean, I felt like she. actually had this happiness. I mean, somewhere it reflected on Jolly's face. at the funeral. Like I felt it. I just.

stood there, and a spark struck my mind, and I connected. Silly had died. For. what? For Shaju to be single? For. No. Did Silly die because of Jolly? The thought disturbed me instantly and. immensely, and I wondered if perhaps the. baby was also a hindrance. Baby Alphonsa. who was sick, even if Silly alone dies. and Jolly remarry Shaju, she would be. obligated to care for their sick child, which would undoubtedly hold Jolly's. life back. I knew something wasn't.

right. But that I mean that just can't. be possible, right? Leela starts. connecting the dots, all the deaths. The. only person that wins every single time. is Jolly. It just doesn't make any. sense. With Ann, she became the. matriarch, the head of the investments. Tom's death, she had an inheritance. Roy's death, she got Roy's inheritance. Baby Alphonsa, maybe she doesn't want to. take care of a baby because she wants to. marry Shaju. And then Shaju's wife? What? Leela's eyes went big and she lifts her. head to stare at Jolly at the funeral.

Who she sees? Jolly is walking straight. up to Silly's coffin, right next to. Shaju. They both lean down and kiss. Silly on each side of her cheek, the. both of them. At the same time, a final goodbye. The. funeral goers started looking from side. to side, eyes wide. What the hell was. that about? That was a shocking gesture. Silly had just passed, but it looks like. these two they look like a couple. I. mean, they look like a couple that have. been together for a while. What does. that mean?

So, they're not hiding at this point. And everybody knows, they know, they're. just putting it out. Leela thought it meant her whole life. had been a lie. She had to do something. about it. She goes home after the. funeral, calls her other brother Arnob. I'm going to ask for a copy of Roy's. postmortem. She discovered in the. autopsy that he had undigested curry in. his stomach, but that doesn't align with. what Jolly said, remember? Yeah. Leela and Arnob, Roy's siblings, Jolly's. brother and sister-in-law. They went to. the police and demanded an exhumation of. six people. They believe that Jolly had.

killed six people in their family. And. none of this is going to be easy. The. deaths happened in the span of 14 years. between the first and the last murder. It would. it It be difficult to even exhume some. of the bodies and even if they had been. poisoned with cyanide, cyanide is more. of a here than gone type of thing. It. doesn't linger in the body for very. long. Cyanide metabolizes in the body. very quickly and once that happens, it. becomes very hard to detect. Additionally, the longer a body has been. buried in the ground, the more likely.

that the cyanide has actually seeped out. of their bodies and into the surrounding. soil. Experts on this case said, "It's going. to be like finding a needle in a. haystack. Trying to find cyanide in a. decomposed body, that's that's. difficult.". So, with those odds and the added. element of exhuming a body in. Christianity, the town actually was. really upset at the siblings for. requesting such a thing. They were like, "You're going to put your whole family's. souls through that for what? The tiniest. sliver of a chance that you might find.

something?" Which, yes. Oh, sorry. So, they. had this feeling 16 years later? Yeah, 14 years later. 14 years later. Yeah. So, they. weren't thinking about poisoning before. I think Ann and Thomas, they were. elderly and because they had gone to So, Ann had gone to the hospital multiple. times. Nobody knew that it was her being. poisoned. They thought that she was. having a natural decline in her health. Yeah. Same with Tom, Thomas, the father. Roy. Thomas, everybody did believe it was a. self-exit. When it comes to Uncle Manny,

I think that maybe Lila did not connect. all of them together. Mhm. Yeah. And I I don't think that generally. you would imagine that you have a serial. killer in the family. Yeah, yeah. And it would it would it. would this it was a spanning of 6 years, 3 years. 9 years for three victims. So, you know, it's not back-to-back where she's so. suspicious. Yeah. It's just it's weird. And the neighbors. are like, "You're not even going to find. anything because look at Jolly. She's.

jolly. Besides, the two siblings, they've got something to gain from all. of this. Jolly has the pink house. She's. got Tom's money. They're going to frame. her for the murders and take back what. is theirs. At least that's what some of the people. were saying. They stopped saying it when. cyanide was found in Sily, Shaju's. wife's body. October 5th, 2019, Jolly Joseph would be. arrested in the pink house. Early hours. of the morning in front of her two sons, Remo and Reynolds. She was 47 when she. was arrested. She was 33 when she.

committed her very first murder. And that is the story of Jolly Joseph. At least that's what the prosecutors, the media, and the general public. believe has happened, more or less. But. that doesn't mean that it's 100% true. That's just what I would consider the. overwhelming majority of people and what. they believe. The trial is still. ongoing. And here's the interesting. part. A lot of the information that we. have is from Jolly herself. She. confessed. But in India, a confession. cannot be admissible in the court of.

law. In the US, that would solidify your. guilt 10,000 over. To the prison and. back. But not in India. Jolly has taken. back everything that she's confessed to. She's hired a very controversial. attorney, one that has a strong. affinity, like a strong liking for. representing. He literally sees violence against women. and he's like, "That one. That's the guy. that I want to protect." He said, "Why. should anyone become a criminal lawyer. if you're not going to represent all. aspects of life for a criminal, including murder? And.

if one is not prepared to represent. these aspects, it's better for one to. opt for family court law, perhaps. Everybody has the legal right to defend. their case.". Anyway, he was hired to represent her in. the trial, which she has pled not. guilty. The attorney has stated that she. confessed under duress. The police found. a bottle of cyanide wrapped in cloth. that was placed in the kitchen utensil. drawer in that kitchen. But Jolly argued. that they planted it. She said, "If I. did kill everyone, why would I keep the. bottle of cyanide?". The attorney has stated, "With much.

respect to the honorable court and with. respect to the prosecution, as a defense. lawyer, after so many years, even saying. that they found the substance in the. house is beyond my imagination. To prove. the allegations against Jolly, prosecution itself fabricated the. potassium cyanide, the bottle that. contained it, the place where it was. hidden. I believe all of these things. were framed for the purpose of this. case.". The attorney also stated that the police. were playing dirty by encouraging a. trial by media. They said, "Police are. collectively leaking information to.

media and they're spinning stories of. stories and I'm sure most of these. charges will not stand before the court. of law.". But while her attorney is so busy at. work, Jolly is confessing to a lot of. people. Her brother stated that she. confessed to him. He and his father, they're like, "We don't know her. anymore. She has been completely. disowned." She confesses to her son, the. police, in front of alleged witnesses. It's stated that she confessed to her. alleged other boyfriend, the man who. just goes by the name Johnson. Jolly did claim innocence on baby. Alphine's murder, though. She said that.

the baby had nothing to do with her. She. reacted, "What would I get from killing. a small child? The child is a minor. She. will not be an obstacle to my marriage. or anything like that.". She confessed to her son. So, she's. confessing to a lot of people. Jolly's. eldest son, who participated in the. Netflix documentary, only refers to his. mom as either Jolly by name or that. woman. He said, "It was unbelievable for me to. think that she has committed so many. murders because I had seen such things. only in movies, never in real life. When.

I reached home, I found out that my. house was empty except my brother. and then she came home. When the woman. called Jolly returned home, I observed. that she looked very tired, panic-stricken, and her inner mind was. full of fear. I said that I need to. speak with Jolly alone and then I went. into a room with her. After entering the. room, I asked her, 'What's going on?' I. told her, 'The news channels are all. pointing their fingers in your. direction. I mean, have there been. mistakes on your part? Did you do it? Did you kill people? I'm asking you. strongly, are you involved in these. murders? He said that Jolly cried and replied in.

a panicked voice that she did not do. anything wrong and she was not involved. at all. I said, "I want to know the. truth. Tell me what happened. You've. definitely done something and you have. to tell me everything.". She finally admitted that she committed. the murders. Well, she said that she committed some. mistakes. He said, "So I asked her again, did you. commit these murders? Tell me. everything.". Remo states that his mom admitted. everything. She admitted to all six. murders. And he states, "I was. completely shocked. I didn't know what. to do. Until that day, we believed that. the deaths of our close family members.

were natural. I had doubts until the. very end. I can never see that person as. my mother again.". Also, I don't know if this part is kind. of anticlimactic coming down from that. because she just confessed to killing. everybody, but she also does confess to. not having a job. She went to the NIT. job as a professor for 12 years. She did not have a job. We don't know. what kind of paper she's grading. I. don't know if she went to the library. and printed out random papers and then. started grading them in her free time. What's crazy is that her kids said that.

she was always working. She's not even. doing fun stuff. It's not like she comes. home from work to just lay on the bed. She's literally reading papers and. grading papers. Fake papers. Fake papers. We have no idea what she did every day. for 12 years straight. They tried to ask. Jolly and she said that she went to this. beauty spa. But when they asked the. beauty spa people, they're like, "I. mean, we've seen her, but. she hasn't been coming here every day. for the past 12 years. Like she's just a. normal customer.".

She could have just stopped. She could. have just say, "Okay, I stopped working. now.". Yeah. She didn't for 12 years because it's a. prestigious position. Oh. Yeah, I mean, it's just unhinged. Netflix released a documentary called. Curry and Cyanide, which is Yeah, I. mean, a lot of people did say it was a. wild name when they didn't know that. Curry was actually involved. Yeah, that was the first controversy. Um, Matthew. you mean they didn't. They just thought it was an Indian case, so they called it curry and cyanide.

And people were very just thought the. name was so unhinged and wild. But she actually did put cyanide in. curry. It seems allegedly. Now, Matthew. the cousin tried to get the Netflix. documentary banned. He filed for an. intervention from the trial courts. He. claimed that the documentary went over. fake information, but his request was. ultimately banned. So, the Netflix doc is live. But even. with the documentary, the trial. underway, I mean, there's still a lot of. unanswered questions. Like, where did. Jolly go for the year that she was.

getting her teaching certificate if she. didn't actually get her teaching. certificate? Where did she go every day. while she was at work at NIT for 12. years? We know that she borrowed money from. Shaju's dad while she pretended to work. because, you know, it's pretty hard to. hide the fact that you don't have an. income coming in. But how was she always. in debt? She killed so many people for. the purpose of money and she's still in. debt. Like, what is her game plan? What's her motive? Wait, so she's killing for money or. we're saying we don't know, right? know. That's what people think that.

she's doing because that's the only. motive that makes sense. It's like, either killing for money, killing for. convenience, or killing to just make. sure you don't get caught. Mhm. If she really did this all for money, she's working harder at killing and. getting away with it than she would have. just working a regular job. She's. working 20 times harder. Yeah. And there's now a question of how many. others were involved. There are a lot of. questions about Shaju, the new husband, and his involvement in the death of his. wife and child because I guess netizens. were wondering how he didn't see these. red flags. And just the timing of.

everything, it felt like they were. already together by the point that his. wife died. Did he see them as holding. him back in life as well? I don't know about all of that, but. netizens do state it's weird that the. doctors, they recommended for both his. daughter and his wife to get an autopsy. done. They're both like this is not This. is not natural. Like something weird. happened. But he would say, "No, it's. okay. Like I'm going to reject because. it's just not something we do in the. family.".

Mhm. He also stated that he really only. remarried Jolly because it sounded like. it'd be a smart choice for him and his. son because, you know, she's family. So. they'd just be a big family. I guess the. idea being that Shaju was a single dad. with a son, Jolly's a single mom with. two sons. They're already family, so now. they can blend into a family. I don't know. It's just intriguing. Some. people think that Shaju was actually the. next victim because his parents did have. some money. So maybe it would have been. a Roy situation where she kills Shaju.

The police do not think that Shaju is. involved at all. But a lot of netizens. remain suspicious to say the least. Shaju did file for divorce after she was. arrested. They did arrest also three. accomplices. Cousin Matthew, the one. that Jolly was sleeping with that. obtained the cyanide. Praji, the owner. of the jewelry store that Matthew. purchased the cyanide from, allegedly. They're both parties are denying any. involvement. And then Manoj Kumar, apparently he's a former politician from. the area. He opened up his own real. estate brokerage that Jolly invested a.

lot of her money into and he was. arrested for helping Jolly get a fake. notary for Tom's will because she forged. a portion of Tom's will. I guess the unanswered question is how. much do they really know? How involved. were they? And the biggest question is. what if she's not actually guilty? There are some people that believe Jolly. is innocent, that she was set up. They. say that it doesn't make sense for Jolly. to have committed these crimes and the. police just want an easier target. They. argue that Ann and Tom Thomas were. already pretty ill at the time of their. alleged murders, so perhaps they died.

from natural causes. They state that. there really was no reason for Jolly to. kill a 2-year-old who did nothing. One. netizen raises a few questions and they. write, "Look at this objectively. We. never hear Jolly speak. The only. conversations we've heard are from other. people saying that this is what she. said. I really want to see how she is as. a person. The end conversation with her. and Lila is just chilling. It sounds. like Lila is admitting to the guilt. Six. victims. Do you really think that Jolly. killed all of them?

A large part of this theory, at least. from what I've seen, hinges on the last. meeting between Lila, Roy's sister, and. Jolly. Lila went to go visit Jolly in prison. And honestly, the only reason she went. is because she had just adopted Jolly's. two sons as her own, and she wanted. Jolly to stop calling them. Jolly would. call them and send them into spirals of. distress because she would say things. like, "You wait and watch. I'm going to. get out of here. You come and you show. me the proof that I did it. Let's see. how they punish me.". Lila said that when Jolly walked out, it.

was very startling. This is the woman. that had been living in the pink house. with servants tending to her. And now. now she's just sitting there. She looked. she looked indifferent though. She. didn't look embarrassed or remorseful. She just sat there. Jolly stayed quiet and they both stared. at each other. Lila broke the silence. "How do you feel about what you've. done?". "It just happened. It just happened.". "You purposely killed six people. You. didn't even spare a little child, and. you said that just happened?".

"It's because I have a criminal mind. I. can hide things. In the Bible it says. that no matter how many sins you commit, God will forgive us. He will forgive me as well.". Lila looked at her and said, "Yes. God may forgive. May he forgive. everyone.". Some people took that as an admission of. guilt from Lila. Like she was rubbing it. in Jolly's face that she had done it. She had gotten away with it, and God. would forgive her. And that is where we are with Jolly. Joseph's case.

Mhm. Yeah. So, we're waiting on the sentencing and. and the trial. And I mean, we don't. know. She. I guess without the trial, it's. confusing because. technically, you're presumed innocent. until guilty, right? Mhm. Perhaps her. confession to the police was coerced, but she does confess to a lot of people. Yeah. So, I I don't know. It's just very. confusing. I would say that the general. public does believe that she's guilty. But then again, that's just an opinion.

We don't know until the trial is is. over. Mhm. What are your thoughts though? Do you. feel like this is a serial killer? Do. you feel like maybe she's been framed? Do you feel like. this is just so odd? Mhm. What are your thoughts? Let me know. Please stay safe, and I will see you. guys on Sunday for the next episode. Bye.