Manair Raathri
Manair Dam Night
Setting: Manair Dam, Karimnagar (Karimnagar).
In English: Manair Dam Night. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
Manair Dam Night
Ee katha maa ooru side 2021 lo jarigindi, nijam ga nijam. Manair Dam daggara Karimnagar city nunchi 7 km, Kamanpur vaipu. Protagonist peru Veeraiah, 54 years, native fisherman, aayana tho paatu aayana koduku Rajanna, 29 years. Rendu generations, same boat, same net, same 30-foot lower Manair section where the water flow into the main reservoir ga slow avuthundi. Ee story aayana koduku Rajanna nenaku 2024 Bathukamma weekend ki maa amma village wedding lo chusi cheppaaru — nenu "nannu believe chesthava?" ani adigite, aayana oka laminated cloth packet teesi oka mangalsutra chupinchaaru. Aa photo evidence lekapote nenu kuda denial lo poyevaani.
2021 October, end of monsoon. Manair reservoir full ga undi aa year — Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (2019 commissioning tarwatha area's water profile markedly changed) because of upstream releases. Manair ki prathi rathri Veeraiah, aayana koduku Rajanna boat lo velthe. Aa boat oka small FRP 12-foot dinghy, single outboard motor. Nylon gill net 40-foot. Regular 9 PM ki depart, 3 AM ki return. Catch — mrigal, rohu, occasional catla. Average 15-20 kilos oka rathri, Karimnagar morning fish market lo sell.
Aa specific rathri — October 14, 2021. Akkadey oka slight thunder. Sky partially cloudy. Veeraiah ki oka intuition undi — "Rajanna, ee rathri net konchem east side lo vesi testadaam. West side lo last 4 nights empty catch."
Rajanna — Karimnagar Agriculture College nunchi B.Sc Fisheries 2018 lo graduate. Aayana naanna tho paatu full-time fishing lo moved ayyaaru, modern techniques bring chesadaaniki. Sonar GPS unit aayana add chesaaru boat ki 2020 lo. Aa unit reading oka specific spot — 160 feet east of usual drop — oka pedda school of fish underneath ga undi.
Rajanna: "Naanna, aa east spot ki velthe rendu hours ki pedda catch."
Veeraiah: "Rajanna, aa spot 1985 ki mundhu original village Chowdampet daggara undi. Village submerged ayindi dam commissioning 1985 ki. Aa area lo net vesaka fishermen rare ga velthaaru. Something always snags , foundation stones, broken doorframes. Net damage expensive."
Rajanna: "Naanna, nenu GPS tho careful ga avoid chesthaanu submerged structures. Just chinna test. Oka rathri kosam."
Veeraiah agree ayyaaru. Boat east ki thedalenaadu. 10:45 PM ki aa spot daggara reach ayyaaru. Sonar oka 12-foot depth bottom chupinchindi. Fish school clear ga visible. Net 35 feet long dropped. Waited 15 minutes.
11:00 PM ki Rajanna net pulling start chesaaru. Net heavy. Veeraiah kuda hand vesindaaru. Rendu mandhi andhari chethulalo aa net ni boat ki draw cheyyagaa, net lo fish kaani inkoka specific object appearing.
Net pulled in completely 11:07 PM ki. Fish matram okkati kuda ledu. Net lo — oka stainless steel thali mangalsutra. Gold plating, two black beads chains, central lakshmi padakam. Normal ga lower-middle-class bride ki pelli lo icche type. Weight maybe 80-100 grams total. Chain rust ga ledu. Gold plating still shiny, konchem tarnished kaani clear.
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Bavi Lopali Mukham
Veeraiah: "Rajanna, idhi em?"
Rajanna: "Naanna, mangalsutra. Asalu bottom nunchi vacchindha?"
Mangalsutra central padakam lo oka small engraving undi. Rajanna aayana phone flashlight pettukuni chusaadu. Padakam venaka side lo fine script tho Telugu lo: "Sridevi & Sambaiah · 15-06-1983".
Veeraiah: Veeraiah aa padakam chetilo pattukuni oka saari retrospective ga silent ayyaaru. "Rajanna, 1983. Dam commission 1985 ki aipoyindi. Ee mangalsutra aa original Chowdampet village nunchi. Aa village submerged ayindi dam lo. Ippudu 38 years tarwatha bottom nunchi vacchindhi. Asalu yela vacchindhi?"
Rajanna: "Naanna, maybe silt shift. Upstream release tarwatha bottom disturb ayi undi."
Veeraiah: "Rajanna, nenu aa Sridevi and Sambaiah peru vinnaanu. 1984 lo , dam construction final year , oka local controversy. Chowdampet village 2,400 families vaalaki compensation distributed. Government valla structure ki Rs 300 per square foot + Rs 2,000 per acre land. Kaani oka specific couple, newlyweds , 1983 June pelli , Sridevi age 19, Sambaiah age 23 , vaallaki compensation ivvaledu. Reason , wedding just ayipoyindi, vaallu same house lo Sridevi parents tho registered. Independent household kaadu. Rendu compensations , sridevi parents ki, Sambaiah parents ki , but aa couple ki separate assistance ledu. Vaallaki mana Karimnagar municipality relocate cheyyadaaniki lo konchem assistance icchhindi kaani main package ivvaledu. Aa time lo oka oru lo outrage undi. Aa couple relocation ni refuse chesaaru. Village final demolition ki one day mundhu , December 10, 1985 , vaallu aa intlo chivari ga stay ayyaaru. Next morning, bulldozers vacchinappudu, aa intlo vaallu leru, kaani aa bodies tarwatha retrieved kuda kaaledu. Evacuation officers 'naa padithe couple safely relocated' ani mark chesaaru, kaani oor mandhi aa tarwatha vaalla whereabouts adigithe answer ledu. 1986 ki nenu inka naa naanna ee Manair lo fishing start chesinappudu, aa rumour , 'ee water lo rendu aatma untaayi, Sridevi and Sambaiah' , chaala fishermen cheppevaaru."
Rajanna: "Naanna, ippudu ee mangalsutra bottom nunchi yenduku ippudu vacchindi?"
Veeraiah silent. Boat water meedha slight drift. Wind konchem cool. Veeraiah pochurunu net back lo fold chesi, boat ni starting direction tippi, "Rajanna, ee object ni proper ga handle cheyyaali. Nenu aa compensation denial story lo oka small detail teliyani , village elder Subbarao gaaru chepparu 2008 lo, aayana chanipoyaaru 2015 lo , Sridevi oka last request chesindi village sarpanch ki 1985 November lo , 'memu relocate avvadaaniki bhoomi leni compensation naaku ivvu. Naa mangalsutra pevee pedtha oor lo pradhyamika nundi. Pain of loss ni reduce cheyyandi family ki.' Sarpanch aa request aadhikaari ki cheppaaru, aadhikaari dismiss chesaaru. Aa matalu dismiss ayaayi. Sridevi maatalu oka 'pain of loss reduction' ante kshamanu pratibhinchadam anedi naaku ippudu ardham avuthundi."
Rajanna: "Naanna, ee mangalsutra ni ippudu em cheyyaali? Police station ki submit cheyyaali?"
Veeraiah: "Rajanna, police station ki icchithe, evidence ga stored lo padipotundi. 38 years tarwatha no active case. Aa couple original family members evarainna bathukuntey, vaallaki konchem solace ivvadaaniki direct ga return cheyyaali. Nenu Chowdampet families lo oka relationship undi , aa village families Karimnagar city lo oka colony formed aipoyayi post-1986. 'Chowdampet Colony' ani, Musheerabad lane nunchi oka 300 meters inside. Sridevi family , aayana thalli Ramanamma , 2015 varaku bathki undedhi. Aayana koduku , Sridevi older brother , aayana Chowdampet Colony lo untu resident ippatiki. Peru Yesubu. Nenu aayana ki reach avutaanu."
Rendu mandhi silent ga Veeraiah boat return. 3:15 AM ki ghat ki reach. Aa mangalsutra ni Veeraiah plastic bag lo wrap chesi intlo safe lo lock chesaadu. Morning fish market routine skip chesaaru. 11 AM ki Karimnagar Chowdampet Colony ki velli, Yesubu gaari peru adigi, intiki chert ayyaaru.
Yesubu 63 years old. Retired govt school teacher. Aayana intlo framed photo — 1983 June wedding day, Sridevi and Sambaiah. Aa same mangalsutra aa photo lo clear ga kanipisthundi — gold plating shiny, padakam engraving back lo hidden, kaani overall shape identical.
Veeraiah story ni cheppaaru Yesubu ki. Mangalsutra teesi Yesubu chetulu ki icchaaru. Yesubu chaala sepu silent ga aa object ni chusaaru. Tears slow ga vacchaayi.
Yesubu: "Veeraiah gaaru, 38 years. Naa chelli ippudu kuda inka Manair neellalo maatramey untunnaadu. Naa thalli prathi roju cheptundhe, 'Sridevi oka roju tippi vasthundhi, mangalsutra tho'. Aayana 2015 lo chanipoyaaru, believe lo. Ippudu , 8 years tarwatha aayana poyaaka , mangalsutra vacchindhi. Sridevi apapudu andhariki konchem meaning icchindhi. Nenu aayana kosam oka proper samskaram chestaanu. Maa family plot lo oka memorial stone patti, aa pilla mangalsutra ni akkada puthe. Aayana attainment ippudu complete avvaali."
Veeraiah: "Yesubu gaaru, oka request. Nenu aa rathri net vesetappudu konchem chinna guilt undi , asalu submerged village boundaries ki daggara vellaanu. Proper fishermen ethics kaadu. Ippudu aa mistake convert ayi oka right kuda ivvagaligindi. Asalu mana catch leka povadam okaka unique result icchindhi. Ee type of water-retrieved items , aa dam area lo future lo inka emainna nunchi vaste nenu direct ga mee families ki bring chesthaanu, police kaadu. 38 families aa village nunchi ippatiki Karimnagar lo untayi ani naaku telusu. Oka distribution tarwatha naaku respect ga undaali."
Yesubu: "Veeraiah gaaru, mee maata nenu appreciate chesthunnanu. Mee koduku Rajanna ki naa oka personal gift ivvaali. Naa chelli kosam, thank you ga."
Rajanna aa day oka silver ring — Yesubu gaari grandmother di, 1960s — accept chesaaru. Aayana ippatiki aa ring ni fishing trips ki pettukuntunaaru.
2021 October 17, Yesubu family ki Chowdampet Colony lo a silent memorial undi. Oka small granite stone, "Sridevi · Sambaiah · 1983-1985" ani engraved. Mangalsutra aa stone kinda buried. Veeraiah, Rajanna attend ayyaaru.
Aa mangalsutra tarwatha Manair lo fishing — Veeraiah east spot avoid chesaaru two years. 2023 ki slow ga east side lo vellinappudu, net damage levu. Catch normal. Sridevi + Sambaiah aatma release aipoyinadi.
Rajanna tarwatha Karimnagar Fisheries Cooperative Society lo oka proposal icchaaru — Manair dam area fishermen ki oka "respect protocol" ani, specific GPS-marked zones lo caution ga work cheyyadam, any retrieved old objects ni direct ga local authorities kaakunda community elders ki first hand over cheyyadam. Cooperative 2023 lo aa protocol adopt chesindi. Rajanna ippudu aa protocol committee chairman, 29-year-old youngest member.
Aa protocol adopt ayina first year lo — 2022 ki — rendu inka vere retrievals registered chesaaru. Oka chinna silver anklet, one brass pooja bell with 1971 engraving. Rendu items vaatiki original families traceable ayyayi Chowdampet Colony tho Karimnagar Rural Tahsildar office maps cross-check chesi. Fisheries Cooperative ki ee process oka kind of cultural documentation ga kuda develop aipoyindi — aa submerged village's memory ni preserve cheyyadaaniki mechanism. Rajanna aa work tho local print newspaper "Nava Telangana" Karimnagar edition ki oka feature story ki interview icchaaru 2023 April lo, "Dam Lopala Past: Fishermen ki Ippudu oka Responsibility" ani title tho.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Cheruvu Ammayi
Veeraiah 2024 summer ki retire. Boat handover to Rajanna. Aayana ippudu Karimnagar Chowdampet Colony daggara prathi October 14 ki velli Yesubu gaari intlo cooruchuni chai taagetharu. Yesubu ippatiki aa mangalsutra ni memorial ga care chestharu.
Author's note
Maa Karimnagar lo Manair Dam antey chinnappati memories. Maa thaata gaaru aa dam commissioning 1985 lo witness chesaaru — aayana govt office lo junior engineer ga pani chesevaaru appudu, resettlement office attached. Aayana prathi saari aa time gurinchi cheppevaaru — "compensation work antha chaala tough, kaani kondaru families last minute lo lagincharu. Vaatilo rendu three couples ki proper resettlement ivvaledu. Government aa cases ni 'voluntary non-evacuation' ani record chesindi, kaani nijam entey , budget constraints + bureaucratic delays." Ee story ni aa historical undercurrent nunchi modern fiction ga wrap chesanu. Manair Dam ippatiki Karimnagar ki heart — prathi Sankranthi ki families ki picnic spot, sunset photography ki favourite. Kaani aa neella lo oka submerged past undi ani chaala mandhiki telusu. Kaleshwaram project (2019 commissioning) tarwatha upstream water levels dramatic ga change ayyayi, chinna chinna artifacts prathi year bottom nunchi vasthayi fishermen catch lo. Meeru Manair ki velli unnara? Aa sunset view naaku absolutely favourite. Comments lo mee memories share cheyyandi.
— Sai Kiran · Lighted Tales
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Telangana
© 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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