Chita Lo Chirunavvu
Smile in the Pyre
Setting: Godavari bank smashanam (Hyderabad / Telangana).
In English: Smile in the Pyre. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
Smile in the Pyre
Phani: "Chudu. Chudu nee nanna gaari mukham. Chinna ga navvuthondi."
[NARAYANA ACHARYA] "Babu, chita lo flames meedha okko chaaya, okko movement untundi. Adhi mukham navvuthondi ani anipinchatam sahajam."
Phani: "Swamy, nenu 20 nimushalu mundhu chusanu. Aayana mukham pooraaka tight ga undi. Dhvesam tho. Naa ammaku oka maata kuda cheppaledu aayana chaasukune mundhu, 'nee tho inkaa work leka poindhi' ani matrame. Ippudu adhi chirunavvu emai? Meeku adhi normal ga anipisthondha?"
[NARAYANA ACHARYA] "Phani, chinna voice tho matladu. Villagers vintunnaru. Chita daggara emotion ekkuva pettukodhu."
Phani: "Swamy, aa navvu naaku scare ga undi."
Ee conversation 2023 April 11 Tuesday evening, Mancherial district nunchi Godavari bank vaipuga oka 14 kilometres dooram lo unna Laxmipur village smashanam. Godavari ippudu summer season, neeru taggi rendu-three streaks matrame pravahiustundi, river bank lo sand wide ga undhi. Aa sand meeda oka wooden chita light aipoyi inkaa 20 minutes. Chita midha unna manishi, Sridhar Rao, 59, Phani tho naanna. Laxmipur lo oka small ration shop run chesetallu. Bharya Annapurnamma, present at chita, crying silently.
Phani vayasu 31. Bengaluru lo MNC software engineer. Rendu rojulu kaadu ippati akkade — nanna oka sudden massive cardiac event tho intlo kollinaaka, bengaluru nunchi overnight drive chesi vacchadu. Chita light chesina manishi — Phani self — oka chinna fire with ghee and camphor.
Naanna ippudu chita meedha. Flames steady ga erupting. Konchem konchem ga cloth burning, body shape reveal ayyaati.
Phani chusinadi — naanna mukham. Aa mukham meedha oka small, subtle, asymmetric rising — left lip corner slightly up. Chirunavvu.
Phani dani meedha 20 minutes chusadu. Navvu disappear avvatledu.
Naaranaya Acharya — village pujari, 58 years old, ee Laxmipur smashanam lo last 20 years priest duties — consoled Phani in soft tone, cheyyi patti Phani ni step back tarifu tisukunnadu. Kaani Phani chita vaipu chusthune unnaadu.
Aa chirunavvu ki okka history undi. Phani ki matramey telusu. Amma Annapurnamma ki partly telusu.
Sridhar Rao — Phani naanna — entirety aa life lo okka temper problem kumar undaidi. Usual anger kaadu. "Kinna" type — chinna vishayam ki kaani pedda dhwesam pettukune personality. Village lo oka pilladu — Venkatesh, Phani chinnappudu friend — 6th class aa roju lo intlo pedduga discussion lo Phani naanna oka debt chuse cheesinappudu (Phani kosam oka bicycle konadaniki), Venkatesh naanna ki emaina maatalu annaadu. Aa rendu ammilu tarwatha 22 years waraku matladaledu. Venkatesh naanna 2015 lo cancer tho chanipoyadu — Sridhar Rao cremation ki velladu. Annapurnamma velli vacchindi okkathey, Sridhar Rao intlo undi fitness tho "naaku headache ga undi" ani rested poisonedi. Actual reason: visheesha bhasma.
Phani ki aa anger memories chaala gurthu. Ammaki Sridhar Rao okkasari 2019 lo oka chinna argument lo (TV remote gurinchi) three weeks matladaledu. Three weeks continuous silence — meals kuda different time lo tisukuntunnadu. Phani aa time lo Bengaluru nunchi phone chesinappudu ammavi voice pakshullidaniki "kashtam ga" ani anipistundi — ippudu retrospectively chuse Phani ki telusu. Aa silence, amma ki, oka weapon la undedi.
Aa roju Sridhar Rao morning 7:15 ki lechi, amma tho tea time lo oka argument modalettindi. Argument content asalem — "Annapurna Sankranti rojulalu Bengaluru ki velli vaccha ani nuvvu koduku ki cheppavu, nenu tho cheppaledu" — kind of. Amma okko occasion ki Bengaluru Phani intiki velladu ani planned. Sridhar Rao approval icchina, kaani "naaku cheppaledu" ane reason ki argument. Aa argument 20 nimushalu. Sridhar Rao last sentence: "Nee koduku ki pampistunna, sare — kaani nee tho inkaa work leka poindhi ee intlo."
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Rathri 3:33 ki Pilupu
Aa tarwatha aayana hall ki velli TV on chesadu. Paper theesadu. Tea ki reach ayyadu, kaani aa cup chethi ki aagipoyindi — oka massive cardiac arrest. 7:45 AM.
Amma pakkaana undi ambulance ki call chesindi, neighbours vaccharu, hospital ki tesukellaru. Kaani oka 30 nimushalu lo declare chesaaru. 9:20 AM.
Phani Bengaluru lo office cab lo velthunnappudu call vacchindi. 10:15 AM. Aayana direct highway ki thirigi drive chesaadu Laxmipur ki. Rendugo night 1 AM ki intiki cherinaadu. Amma ki hug icchaadu, silence lo.
Morning 11 AM ki cremation arrangements. Chita 3 PM ki. Phani fire lit chesadu — all rituals correct ga follow chesaaru — aa tarwatha ee chirunavvu.
Phani: "Swamy, naaku aa navvu lo oka meaning undi."
[NARAYANA ACHARYA] "Phani, emaina cheppu."
Phani: "Naanna amma ki ee morning last sentence annaru, 'nee tho inkaa work leka poindhi.' Adhi anger lo. Ippatiki annapurnaamma ki aayana 'maafi cheppu' ane maata cheppaledu. Oka final chinna maata chaalu, amma ki peace ivvadaaniki. Aa maata cheppaledu. Ippudu chita lo navvuthondi, because aayana still feels aayana gelichaadu. Amma silence lo. Amma inka migilikantey." Phani voice vanikindhi.
Narayana Acharya aa chita vaipu chinna ga chusaadu. Flames steady. Aayana chinnappudu Pullareddy Sastri ane guru gaari daggara smashanam lo chaala saarlu aa chinna navvu phenomenon gurinchi cheppevaaraaru. "Chita lo navvu okka manishi ki kanipinche, aa navvu aa manishi kosam matrame manishi koodu kanipisthundi. Adhi cosmic warning, deshvam matchukuni tho tarimpu cheyoddhu."
[NARAYANA ACHARYA] "Phani, nenu oka pani cheppana. Vinu."
Phani: "Cheppandi swamy."
[NARAYANA ACHARYA] "Chita velaaga, inkaa 3 hours undi paripuurnam ki. Neevu ammaki daggara daggara chusukuni, naanna gurinchi matladandi. Edhi chuseesi, okkarinthey aayana annaari aa roju udayam, neevu ammaku aa matala vyathireka oka chinna maata cheppu. 'Amma, naanna gaari last matalu kastham ga vinnavu, kaani aayana intlo neeku inkaa work vundi ani meanamulu anukoledu. Aayana nuvvu leka poithe, intlo nunchi lechadu kooda kadu. Neevu e intiki sarvam.' Ala cheppadam."
Phani: "Swamy, naanna chepalni. Nenu cheppe."
[NARAYANA ACHARYA] "Naanna cheppaledu ippudu. Neevu aayana koduku. Aa responsibility ippudu nee meeda. Aayanaki chepindi nuvvey compensate cheyyu. Amma heart ki last harm ni repair cheyyadam, adhi mana pani, chita kanna ekkuva mukhyamu."
Phani amma daggara ki vellinadu. Annapurnamma Godavari sand meeda kuurchuni, tala kinda ki paduchunte, Phani pakkana koorchuni, chethini thana chethi pattukunadu. Kaasepu silence.
Phani: "Amma, nenu naannaki velletappudey oka maata icchaanu, 'naanna, ammaki neeku inkaa intlo pani undi. Amma leka nuvvu rendu rojulu intlo undalevu. Nuvvu itlu annavu ki meaning ala kaadu, angry ga annavu, kaani manasulo ala kaadu.' Aayana okkasari thala oopaaru. Nenu chepperi. Okkasari meaning ki kavalsina last chance lenippudu, neevu ayina nenu ayina complete cheyyali."
Annapurnamma Phani vaipu chusindi. Aa eyes lo rendu-three days ga built-up tears chala alalu ochhaayi. Phani tana hand Annapurna chethi meeda pettukunadu. Rendu nimushaalu silent ga vuncharu.
Aa tarwatha Phani chita vaipu chusadu.
Chirunavvu ledu.
Mukham calm ga undi. Left lip corner kindiki migilindhi. Peaceful expression — asalem yellipoyinattu.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Edureti Chita
[NARAYANA ACHARYA] "Amma, pilladu, chita peacefully maari poyindhi. Ipudu avaruna shanthi ga velli lokaaniki velladaaniki antha sulabh sadhyam."
Aa evening 7 PM ki flames taggaayi. Niprulu raaka bhagam ninkulu cherukuntaayii. Phani asthika kosham nirmalam chesaadu. Godavari backwater lo nimajjanam kosam naluguru waaram tarwatha Mancherial naluguvu karmalu ki vellalani plan.
Aa asthikalu ni Phani raaka oka earthen pot lo srithapu kosam collect chesadu. Pot Narayana Acharya ki icchadu storage kosam. Narayana Acharya aa pot ni village temple corner room lo pettadu — velcoming Aithra.
Aa rathri Phani amma tho intlo koorchuni tea tagaadu. Amma oka pedda relief tho pakkaaluna unnadi. Amma matladindi — Sridhar Rao gurinchi chinnappati memories. 1982 pelli, 1991 Phani puttu, 1996 lo oka hurricane lo daamage ayina storage shop, 2003 lo Annapurna ki oka major surgery lo Sridhar Rao three weeks sleep leka pakkana undina roju.
Annapurnamma: "Aayana oka kopi manishi, kaani ayana naaku prema chaalanu undhi rey. Kopam rendu-three days, prema decades."
Phani amma chethi pattukuni, "nenu telusu amma" ani chepinadu. Amma ki okka chinna smile oochindi, Phani 6 months nunchi chusaledhu ammadaagu.
Aa tarwatha rendu rojulu Phani ooru lo undadu. Naluguvu karmalu complete chesesi, ammaku care tisuki Bengaluru ki thiragavalasi undhi. Plan — ammaki oka month tarwatha Bengaluru ki tesukoni vellali. Single ga intlo undakkadaara.
Cremation tarwatha 40 days ceremony (bhairavantham). Narayana Acharya aa ceremony lo asthika pot baagam ivvadaaniki pot open chesaaru. Lopala asthikalu — kaani okka thing weird ga undi. Asthikalu meeda oka small ash formation, baagam ga shape lo — oka chinna mudra, a namaskara gesture la. Narayana Acharya aa formation ni matrame carefully lift chesi oka silk cloth lo wrap chesi Phani ki icchadu.
[NARAYANA ACHARYA] "Idhi neevu vetagaani ammaku ivvu. Naanna ee last rendu weeks lo, padava lokam nunchi nunchi, akka namaskaram chesesi velle prepare ayyaru. Amma ki aayana maafi idhi."
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Telangana
Phani aa small ash-mudra ni Bengaluru ki tesukuni vellaadu. Intlo oka chinna puja room lo, amma kuda tarwatha Bengaluru lo join ayyaka, aa mudra ni silver frame lo pettadu. Amma roju aa frame mundhu oka agarbatti vesthundi. Rendu-three nimushalu kacche matladuthundi Sridhar Rao tho silence lo.
Aa silence ippudu weapon kaadu.
Adhi communication.
Author's note
Ee katha base — 2023 April ki nenu Bhadrachalam daggara oka Godavari side village ki weekend trip velli vacchinappudu vinadam. Local pujari tho matladinappudu aayana chaala saarlu "chita lo chirunavvu" phenomenon cheppaaru. Aayana prakaaram, adhi oka cosmic warning — manishi lo final chinna rinam left aipoyindi ani. Literal ga chinna smile appear avutundi flames lo, aa rinam paridyagam cheyyanamuna family member ki. Ee katha lo nenu aa phenomenon ni oka modern middle-class Telangana family context lo pettaanu — anger, silence, last rites tarwatha reconciliation. Maa Karimnagar lo mana kaalu vaipu elders often dinnertime aate kathalu cheptaaru — naaku choorapuram side oka unka mama ki ilanti chirunavvu 2019 lo aayana bharya chita pai chusaaru ani share chesaaru. Aa vishayam chala deep ga pettukunnaaru aayana manasulo. Ee story raasinappudu aa mama gurthu ochhaaru. Ilaanti incidents meeku kuda telusa? Ardha rathri mee naanna-ammala matta akku daggara koorchoni matladandi - chaala unique kathalu osthayi. Comments lo share cheyyandi.
— Sai Kiran · Lighted Tales
© 2026 Sai Kiran Pandrala / Lighted Tales · https://teluguhorrorstories.blogspot.com
Original Telugu horror fiction. Folk-source material where referenced is public domain.
Modern characters, apartments, companies, and phone numbers are fictional.
Any resemblance to real persons, businesses, or events is coincidental.
Audio version: youtube.com/@Lightedtales
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