Kondaveedu Kolanu
The Fort Lake
Setting: Lake near old fort (Hyderabad / Telangana).
In English: The Fort Lake. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
The Fort Lake
2023 March lo oka weekend nenu Khilashapur Fort area side oka photographer friend tho velli vacchesina. Khilashapur ante Hanamkonda nunchi 25 km, oka Kakatiya-era minor fort ruin, ippudu ASI protected monument ga undi. Aa fort base lo oka chinna artificial lake — "Kondaveedu Kolanu" ani local name, 6-acre size, 15 feet maximum depth. Fort 13th century, lake bhoolukka 14th century later addition ani local elders antaaru. Naa friend peru Goutham, aayana Hyderabad-based freelance travel photographer, National Geographic India ki stringer level contributor. Aayana naa tho ee location ki raavalani invite chesaadu — "Sai Kiran, ee lake tho oka weird pattern undi. Prathi year same date ki oka person drowning. I'm going to document it this year. Mee blog ki content kuda kaavaccu."
Nenu first accept cheyyakundaanu — drowning ni document ga treat cheyyadam ethics ki prathikoolam. Kaani Goutham persuade chesaaru — "Sai Kiran, nenu prevention angle lo document chesthunna. Local awareness, not sensational content. Mee principles ki align avuthundi." Nenu agree ayyaa.
Ee story ippudu — ee weekend's actual experience ni oka fictional layered frame lo ni documentate chesaanu (protecting real photographer friend's privacy kosam name and location details shift chesaanu — "Goutham" ani fictional peru, "Khilashapur" ante approx location area). Actual dates and incidents partially dramatized. But core observation — real.
Khilashapur Fort outskirts, 2023 March 25, afternoon 2 PM. Goutham tho nenu jeep tho reach ayaam. Aa lake pattern — Goutham shared research:
- 2009 March 27: drowning, local farmer age 42, peru Ramaiah
- 2014 March 27: drowning, a college student 20, peru Srinivas, visiting with friends
- 2017 March 27: drowning, woman 55, peru Kamalamma, visiting a temple nearby
- 2020 March 27: drowning, a fisherman's son age 12, peru Ravi
- 2022 March 27: drowning, a cement worker age 38, peru Yesappa
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Eeta Baavi
Five documented cases, single specific date. Between these dates, occasional drownings ga kaadu — regularly zero or one stray incident years between. Aa March 27 specifically recurring. 2023 ki predicted next incident. Goutham's hypothesis — "There's a pattern. Villagers cheppaaru 'aa roju aa lake ki oka pilupu vasthundi.' Nenu aa roju 24 hours document chesi prevent cheyyaali if possible."
Goutham aa work lo chaala serious ga. Aayana ni naaku 2 days ki assist. Nenu camera assist plus village ga network chesaaru.
Local village ooru — Konaipally — population 1,800. Village elder, a Muddala Pochaiah, 79 years old, ee lake's 50 years memory. Goutham aayana tho detailed interview.
Goutham: "Pochaiah thaata, 1972 nunchi 2022 ki ee specific March 27 pattern yenduku?"
Pochaiah: "Goutham gaaru, 1972 March 27 roju ee lake lo oka specific incident. Aa time lo lake proper maintained ga undi , fort tour guides kuda oka side routine ga lake daggara pilgrims tisukuni velli chupinchevaaru. Aa roju oka marriage procession aa lake side lo picnic ki ayipoyindi , oka Muslim family bride (named Zulfiya), 19 years, engagement ceremony tarwatha first trip with fiancé's family. Fiancé peru Ibrahim, 23. Rendu families 25 mandhi. Lunch tarwatha Zulfiya and Ibrahim mana kosam short walk lake circumference ki vellaaru. 10 minutes tarwatha Ibrahim itchy ga vacchaadu , Zulfiya kanipinchaledu. Family search, chaala sepu panic. Boat rented, lake searched. Aa evening 5 PM ki Zulfiya body recovered , bottom lo, single deep spot lo, 14 feet. Drowning , why? No one saw fall. Ibrahim swore aayana kalisthu undadaaniki try ayyaadu kaani fail ayyaadu. Police investigation 1972 April month. No conclusion. 'Accidental drowning, unwitnessed.' Case closed."
Goutham: "Zulfiya's family aa result tho satisfied undedha?"
Pochaiah: "No. Zulfiya's father, Mohammed Khadir, aayana oka specific complaint pettaaru , Ibrahim tho oka confrontation undedhe vaalla families mid lo. Zulfiya originally oka inkoka match ki prefer chesindhi, kaani parents Ibrahim tho engagement ki force chesaaru aayana financial status kosam. Khadir gaaru aa decision lo strong ga oka side tho. Aa engagement 3 months ga contested ga undi. Zulfiya death of Khadir ki oka grief + suspicion , 'naa koduku Ibrahim ni pushed chesaadha?' ani. Ibrahim family aa claim refuse chesaaru. Rendu families aa tarwatha never reconciled. Khadir 1985 lo chanipoyaaru , heart failure, aayana silent ga life antha daughter ni kshamam ivvalekapoyaaru aa forced marriage lo push chesaadu ani. Ibrahim 2002 lo chanipoyaaru , aayana last years lo alcohol problem, aayana private ga 'Zulfiya aa roju aavaraa accidentally slipped , kaani nenu slow ga react ayyaanu' ani oka close friend ki confess chesaaru. Proper guilt."
Pochaiah cheppaaru — rendu families 1972 tarwatha separate ooru ki relocate ayyaaru. Zulfiya's direct descendants — Khadir's other children — now scattered in Hyderabad Old City. Ibrahim's family kuda moved. Aa lake daggara any of those families' members never returned.
Pochaiah: "Goutham gaaru, 2009 lo mana oor lo Ramaiah poyinappudu , aayana 42 years, oka chinna farmer. Aayana grandfather 1972 lo aa marriage procession lo attend ayyaaru , Zulfiya's distant relative, Khadir's second cousin. Aayana aa roju incident direct witness. Aa family line ki oka small claim , Zulfiya atma untannadha accept cheyyaali, respects ivvali ani. Ramaiah tatha 2005 lo chanipoyinappudu aa commitment aayana family ki transfer avvaleadu. 2009 March 27 Ramaiah aa lake daggara field work ki velli, slip ayyaadu oka stone meedha, drowned. Villagers ki aa pattern prathamika ga kanipinchindhi. 2014, 2017, 2020, 2022 , all victims some Khadir or Ibrahim bloodline's distant descendant or their household contact."
Goutham: "Pochaiah thaata, 2023 March 27 ki ippudu prevention yela?"
Pochaiah: "Goutham gaaru, rendu families descendants ki reach avaaliku. Khadir family Hyderabad Nalgonda X-road daggara untaaru , aayana great-grandson Yakub bhai, 48, oka small electronics shop. Ibrahim family Karimnagar side untaaru , aayana great-grandson Shahid bhai, 51, auto spare parts dealer. Rendu mandhi family lo kshamam ivvali. 50+ years ga rendu families reconcile kaaledu. March 27 ki prevention ante rendu mandhini aa lake daggara bring chesi, direct ga forgiveness ceremony arrange chesthey , Zulfiya atma release avuthundi."
Goutham ee plan ni aggressively pursue chesaadu. Rendu rojulu phone calls. Yakub bhai — via Hyderabad Old City community network, tracked — initial resistant, "50 years aa katha close ayindi, yenduku repeat?" Goutham convince chesaaru — "5 lives 13 years lo. Prevention kaavali. 2023 March 27 inkaa 2 days ga undi." Yakub bhai ki family elder persuaded by Pochaiah's stature, phone tho 1 hour matladu. Yakub bhai agreed.
Shahid bhai — Karimnagar side tracked via local network, similar resistance. Pochaiah direct call, "Shahid babu, mee family ki Ibrahim gaari guilt 2002 lo aayana confession full ga close cheyyaledu. Nuvvu ippudu aa guilt ni proper close cheyyadaaniki oka chance icchav. Ee lake inkaa young life tisukobodhu." Shahid agreed too.
March 27, 2023 morning 9 AM. Khilashapur Fort lake side. Yakub bhai with two sons (Rizwan, Imran), Shahid bhai with his daughter (Arfa, age 28). Pochaiah facilitating. Goutham camera far distance lo recording (family consent tho — respectful framing, faces only with permission).
Pochaiah: "Yakub babu, Shahid babu, 1972 March 27 roju ee lake lo oka young lady, 19, Zulfiya, poyindi. Mee rendu families aa roju ki oka bond of grief ga linked ga undali. Kaani 50+ years rendu families separated, blame-pattern lo. Ippudu mee rendu mandhi ikkada direct ga kshamam adagadam , oka kallu marchi clasp tho, manassu nunchi , aa atma peace ivvaali."
[YAKUB BHAI] Yakub bhai Shahid bhai vaipu step. "Shahid bhai, mee family ki maa family 50 years blame pettaam. Ibrahim gaaru direct ga push chesaadani maa thaata claim chesaaru. Maybe true, maybe false, ippatiki proof ledu. Kaani aa blame maa family hearts lo stoned ga. Nenu ippudu mee family ki kshamam iccchukodutunnanu , openly. Mee Ibrahim gaari side nunchi chinna chinna errors undi, and vaatiki mana rendu families ippudu proper ga vidipothaaram."
[SHAHID BHAI] Shahid bhai tears slow ga. "Yakub bhai, maa Ibrahim thaata guilt ni aayana life antha internal ga carry chesaaru. 2002 lo confession tho relief paid. Maa family aa roju Zulfiya ki kshamam proper ga adagaledu , public ga, family ga. Ippudu adugutun , maa thaata's behalf, maa family's behalf. Forgive mana rendu mandhiki."
Chethulu clasp. Rendu mandhi oka five-minute silent prayer. Lake surface breeze tho gentle ripples. Aa moment lo, Goutham camera lo oka specific frame capture aipoyindhi — rendu mandhi clasp pattern meedha, lake background lo oka subtle outline — oka young woman's silhouette, 19-20 age, traditional salwar-kameez style dress, smiling, fading slow ga into water ripples. Aa outline oka 4 seconds matrame. Goutham 240 fps slow motion lo capture chesaadu.
Zulfiya release aipoyindhi — 51 years lo.
Aa March 27 antha roju — lake daggara constant monitoring (Pochaiah's village volunteers 12 mandhi rotation, Goutham and nenu supporting). 9 AM nunchi midnight waraku. No drowning. No victim. First March 27 in 13 years without a fatality.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Manchineeru Mantram
Next year 2024 March 27 — no drowning. 2025 March 27 — no drowning. 2026 March 27 ippudu upcoming, kaani pattern permanently broken ani villagers believe.
Goutham aa silhouette frame ni oka documentary photo essay ga publish chesaadu 2024 lo National Geographic India online platform lo — "The Fort Lake's 51-Year Forgiveness." Photo essay award (Indian Photography Awards, runners-up) winner 2024. Aa essay lo Yakub and Shahid family names protected, location area shifted ga described.
Nenu ee blog post lo aa essay's narrative angle ni preserve chesaanu — with fictional names, shifted location, respectful distance. Kaani core message — oka 51-year blame pattern rendu families' open reconciliation tho oka innocent atma ki release icchindhi — aa message preserve ayindhi.
Pochaiah thaata 2025 summer ki chanipoyaaru — 81 years age, peaceful aa village lo intlo. Aayana aakhari years lo aa lake daggara prathi March 27 morning oka chinna puja ni personally lead chesevaaru — village community ga. 2026 ki aa practice Konaipally village sarpanch office dwara continuing. Oka chinna memorial stone, Zulfiya's memory kosam, lake's north bank meedha installed ayindhi 2024 April lo — inscription Urdu and Telugu rendu scripts lo, "Peace for the Young Bride of 1972." Rendu families ippudu prathi year oka joint visit to aa stone, chinna dates tho keep aipoyindhi.
Author's note
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Telangana
Naa friend Goutham (fictional name here, but real friend) ee project lo 2023 lo direct ga involved ayyaadu. Aayana aa documentary project tarwatha oka small lifestyle change — aayana ippudu prathi Telangana village level story ni "prevention-first, sensational-second" ani frame chestaaru. 2024 Bathukamma weekend ki nenu Goutham tho Hanamkonda side oka photography workshop lo attended — aayana aa Khilashapur Fort lake project gurinchi oka students ki presentation icchaaru, ethical documentation emphasize chesaaru. Naaku aa presentation oka reminder — horror content creator ga naa responsibility kuda similar. Ee stories fiction ga raasthaanu, kaani underlying principle — forgiveness ni dharma ga recognize cheyyadam — ni proper ga dramatize cheyyaalnaaku. Mee life lo ilaanti old-wound forgiveness experiences untey comments lo share cheyyandi. Naaku aa pattern documentation lo interest ga undali.
— 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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