Vetti Baana
The Empty Ditch
Setting: Khammam plot (Khammam).
In English: The Empty Ditch. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
The Empty Ditch
Ee katha maa Khammam district side lo 2022-2023 lo jarigindhi, nijam ga nijam. Protagonist family peru and village peru nenu slightly altered ga use chesthunna privacy reasons ki — kaani core events structure actually happened, naaku aa family oka distant cousin-in-law relationship dwara connected.
Family — Ramaswamy and Vasanthi couple. Ramaswamy age 44, Khammam-based small construction contractor , aayana specialization a modest-scale residential builds, 2-3 simultaneous projects ga run ga. Wife Vasanthi age 40, homemaker, pillalu rendu — son Bharath (14, 9th class) and daughter Shilpa (10, 5th class). Family Khammam town lo since 2015, rented accommodation ga. 2022 summer lo Ramaswamy oka specific land parcel ni buy chesaaru — Khammam town outskirts nunchi 7 km distance, Kothagudem road side, a 4-cent plot. Price 15 lakh. Aayana own 2-story residential construction plan — ground floor rental, first floor family residence, total project budget 45 lakh, aayana own liquidity 20 lakh + bank loan 25 lakh. Construction plan 2022 September lo start, 10-month timeline ga complete cheyyadaaniki target.
Foundation excavation , September 15, 2022. Excavator machine , rental basis hired. Trench digging started 8 AM. Mid-morning 11:20 AM ki , operator Mahesh Babu (32, daily-wage operator) excavation machine pause chesaadu. Aayana Ramaswamy ni call chesaaru direct ga.
Mahesh: "Sir, ikkada oka issue. Foundation depth 5 feet varaku ki, nenu oka specific layer ki reached , oka burial. Human remains. Approximately adult-size skeleton, partial ga disturbed ga naa bucket tho , kaani I stopped immediately. Ikkada oka body undi, unmarked grave ga. Meeru self check chesaavaa?"
Ramaswamy, Vasanthi sites ki vacchaaru. Excavator's bucket edge lo partial exposed human skull, rib fragments, a worn cloth fabric remnant. No marker stone, no formal burial indicators. Clearly an old, informal grave , approximate age hard to estimate on sight , definitely not recent (no tissue remains, bones dry-aged).
Legal requirement — unmarked human remains discovery ki local police notification mandatory. Ramaswamy aa rule aware ga. Kaani aayana ki project timeline, financial pressure , bank loan interest started ga, family's rental expenses ongoing, delay cost substantial. Aayana decision , a shortcut. Mahesh ki Rs 5,000 cash bribe , "aa bones ni careful ga move chesi, oka chinna separate gunta lo re-bury chesi, foundation work continue cheyyi. Police report skipped. Elder ga ivvadu."
Mahesh reluctant, aayana himself a local OBC community member, ancestors respect traditions knew. Kaani money cost , his weekly earnings' 5x. Accepted.
Remains carefully bagged ga 2 plastic bags , Ramaswamy aa plot's rear corner, 3-feet distance from foundation line, 2-feet shallow pit dug, bags buried. No prayer, no marker, no documentation. Foundation work resumed 2 PM.
Vasanthi ki Ramaswamy full decision ni cheppaledu — partial ga "oka chinna old-bones issue arose, adhi resolved" ani. Construction proceeded. October ki foundation complete. November ki plinth beam. December ki ground floor pillars rising.
First symptom — 2022 December mid. Ground floor basement-level space (a partial basement designed ga storage kosam) , construction ga still bare cement floor, walls fresh plaster. Ramaswamy aa basement ni check chesaadu weekly progress ga. December 14 ki aayana aa basement floor ki noticed — a faint water seepage at the northeast corner. No rain in previous 2 weeks, no obvious water source. Seepage slow , a 6-inch diameter damp spot.
Ramaswamy contractor consultation , foreman Subramanyam (47, experienced). Subramanyam oka ground-water rise or hidden spring possibility ki checked. Borehole scan done — no aquifer proximate. Drainage mapped — no external leak. Seepage unexplained.
Ramaswamy filled the corner with additional hydrophobic cement topping. December 20 ki re-checked — seepage moved 18 inches away, now surfacing at the room's mid-section. Wet spot larger , 12-inch diameter.
Subramanyam: "Ramaswamy sir, ee seepage pattern unusual ga. Static source leak ga ante same spot lo ga persist avaali. Ippudu moving ga undi. Chemistry lab lo soil test cheyyamani suggest , maybe subsurface contamination."
Ramaswamy soil sample test chesaadu December 22 ki — Khammam-based agro-lab. Result — soil's mineral composition normal, no petroleum or sewage contaminants, but a slight presence of organic decomposition-related compounds. Lab technician noted — "typical for soil with recent buried organic matter , a small animal or similar."
Ramaswamy aa observation ni ignored. Kaani aayana internal ga realized , buried remains' decomposition drainage ga. Aayana aa drainage ni not address , construction proceed.
January 2023. First floor slab pour complete. Family excited , construction 30% milestone reached. Vasanthi ki Ramaswamy evening casual ga , "Illu 60% complete July ki, move-in target September end."
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Angadi Pakkana Illu
Second symptom , January 15. Vasanthi oka night 2:47 AM ki lechi. Bharath's bedroom (currently rental accommodation lo kaadu new illu lo kaadu, present rental intlo ga) nunchi oka faint crying. Aayana entered — Bharath asleep. But aayana whispering in sleep, specific words — "sir , please , let me finish the prayer." Vasanthi 5 minutes listened, Bharath didn't wake, but the whispering persisted — repetitive, exact same phrase.
Morning ki Bharath ki , aayana dreams gurinchi asked. Bharath shocked ga — "Amma, naa dream last night oka specific image , oka man ga , elderly , Muslim dress ga , naaku told , 'sir , please , let me finish the prayer.' Aayana begging ga. Naaku intensity ga felt." Bharath aa dream 3 consecutive nights continued.
Vasanthi: "Ramaswamy , ee dream Bharath ki unusual ga continuing. Family lo naaku kuda a sense , aa new plot lo construction start chesaaka , aa pattern , em jarigindhi aa land lo? Nuvvu cheppalevvu full ga."
Ramaswamy silent konchem sepu. Aayana aa moment lo decision , honesty ga share cheyyadaaniki.
Ramaswamy: "Vasanthi , nenu January 15 ki ippatiki 4 months hide chesanu. September 15, 2022 ki , foundation excavation lo oka unmarked grave , adult male remains found aipoyayi. Nenu police inform cheyyaledu , project delay kosam. Remains ni corner lo re-buried without any proper prayer or marker. Nenu aa time lo aa decision ni prioritize chesaa timeline. Kaani ippudu , drainage issues, Bharath dreams , aa soul's disturbance ga I now recognize."
Vasanthi: "Ramaswamy , meeru immediate action teesukovali. Nenu tomorrow morning oka local knowledgeable person ki consult cheyyadaaniki suggest chestunna."
Next morning , Vasanthi's maternal aunt's brother-in-law , a retired Khammam-based Urdu-Persian scholar Abdul Rahman (68, connected through extended family), aayana ni call chesaaru. Aayana Khammam lo grew up, 1950s-1960s era local oral histories teliyadu ga. Aayana plot's exact location details adugumataramga — Kothagudem road, 7 km from town, eastern side, specific landmark a large tamarind tree 200 meters south.
[ABDUL RAHMAN] "Ramaswamy sir , meeru aa plot purchase cheyyadaaniki mundhu aa land's pre-history gurinchi telusaa? Land records 1970s revenue department transfer ga undayi. Kaani pre-1970s , aa plot once was part of a larger land parcel which included a small informal qabristan , a small Muslim burial ground. 1940s-1950s era , maa community's private burials , unregistered ga undedi. 1960s lo community migration tho that burial ground disused , eventually land reclassified as agricultural, later as residential. Formal records lo pre-1970 untaayi kaadu. Meeru excavation lo discovered remains , likely one of those 1940s-50s burials."
Ramaswamy silent. Aayana aa information lo realization — "ante nenu displaced a community's honored dead, without any respect, without any ritual."
Abdul Rahman continued — "Sir , remedy , specific steps:
1. Immediate ga , aa buried-again remains ni professional ga exhumed , locally known a respected Muslim community leader tho — Khammam Mulla Haji Ali (fictional name), aayana 62 years age, Khammam's Masjid-e-Jamia imam. Aayana aa remains ni properly rehumate cheyyadaaniki oka formal Islamic ritual organize chestaaru — ghusl mayyit (ritual washing), shroud (kafan), janazah prayer, burial in the proper Muslim community cemetery. Respect restored.
2. Aayana identity telusuvvar , but a specific community memorial marker at the Khammam Muslim cemetery ki — 'unknown person relocated from Kothagudem road, with respectful identification attempts made.' Oral history collection from elder community members possibly to trace identity.
3. Aa construction plot lo , a small commemorative plaque at the rear corner , 'in respectful memory of those buried here before records, 1940s-50s.' Not a religious marker , a historical acknowledgment.
4. A goodwill gesture to the Muslim community of Khammam , Ramaswamy's own financial contribution , say Rs 50,000 , to the masjid's community fund or to a local orphanage with Muslim community ties. Represents his family's restitution for the initial disrespect."
Ramaswamy immediately agreed to all 4 steps.
January 21, 2023. Exhumation conducted properly. Mulla Haji Ali + local imam + Abdul Rahman + 5 community witnesses + Ramaswamy, Vasanthi present. Respectful remains transfer , proper Islamic ritual , 3 hours duration. Remains ni Khammam's main Muslim cemetery's "relocated souls section" ki formally re-interred with proper marker. Identity unknown ga ippudu , but community record maintains the relocation documented.
Ramaswamy Rs 50,000 contribution , a Khammam-based children's orphanage (community-supported, fictional name Hilal Children's Home) ki donated.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Chinna Mamma Gadi
Construction plot rear corner , a small granite plaque installed , simple inscription: "In memory of those who rested here before , 1940s-1950s. Acknowledged by the current family, 2023."
Post-restitution observations. Basement seepage , by February mid , dried up fully. Floor clean. Soil stable.
Bharath's dreams , by early February , discontinued fully. Aayana sleep normal ga.
Construction proceeded. July 2023 ki illu fully complete. Family move-in August 2023 ki. Ground floor a small rental unit ga — a local medical-supplies distributor rented, Rs 18,000/month.
Family kuda a family ritual adopted — plot's rear memorial plaque ki monthly ga flowers offering. Vasanthi prathi first Sunday ki a silent acknowledgment , no formal religious ritual, simple respect gesture. Family aa plot ni purely transactional property kaadu, aa land's deeper history ni integrated ga honor chesaaru.
Mulla Haji Ali 2024 ki Ramaswamy ki oka personal meeting — aayana community's formal acceptance ni express chesaaru: "sir, meeru mistake initial ga chesaaru, kaani correction prompt ga. Community ki meeru embraced ga ippudu. Mee family ki barakat (blessings)."
Ramaswamy 2024 ki construction business lo oka specific policy change — prathi new land purchase mundhu, aayana firm oka local-knowledge consultation step add chesaaru. Local elders tho interview, previous land-use oral history. Aayana aa practice ni other Khammam-based contractor friends ki kuda recommend ga. 2025 ki Khammam Contractors Association lo oka informal norm ga spread aipoyindhi — "land's human history ni respect cheyyadam practical safety ga."
Bharath and Shilpa 2025 ki Khammam lo high school , both academically stable, family ki a deep anchor ee aa illu ippudu. Shilpa aa memorial plaque daggara occasional ga silent ga nilabadhutundhi post-school , aayana "ikkada a grandfather who's resting peacefully now" ga treat chestadhi.
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Telangana
Ramaswamy aa experience ni oka personal teaching ga carry chestaaru. Aayana Bharath ki aa 9th class age lo oka evening directly explain chesaaru — "koduka, work timeline pressure meedha nenu a specific shortcut teesukunnaanu September lo, aa shortcut cost a human's dignity and our own family's wellbeing rendu months ki. Ippudu correction, kaani nenu lesson ni learn chesaa. Nee future decisions lo, kshetram-level respect and community-level respect , rendu must be above work-schedule pressure. Family ki peace cost is always less than the cost of proceeding without respect."
Bharath aa conversation ni 2026 ki oka 10th-class essay lo — "My father taught me the meaning of pausing" topic tho academically wrote, aayana state-level English essay competition lo runner-up ga award — essay content specific incident unnamed ga, but the theme clear.
Khammam's Kothagudem road new residence ippatiki family home. Memorial plaque small but steady. Community's 1940s-era unknown soul , properly at rest in Khammam cemetery. Everyone's peace restored.
Author's note
Maa Khammam district side oka distant cousin Shailaja aayana 2023 mid lo ee kind of incident ni personal family episode ga share chesindhi maa amma tho phone call lo, Diwali time ki. Core structure , "construction site lo discovered unmarked grave + initial disrespect + spiritual disturbance + restitution + peace restored" , reality ga. Aayana specific names & details hide chesaaru privacy ki, aa family-level lesson shared ga, naaku narrative re-purpose cheyyadaaniki ok ichaaru. Khammam district Kothagudem road side development 2020s lo rapid ga , chaala new residential plots open avuthaayi. Older land-use histories — Muslim-community burial grounds 1940s-50s era, pre-Independence Nizam-period tribal burials, agricultural-labour informal cremations — frequently unrecorded ga. Modern construction lo discovered remains handling protocol , Telangana Heritage Act (2017) meedha legally formalized ga , kaani ground-level enforcement variable ga. 2024 Telangana monsoon heavy rainfall ki Khammam side flood ga , aa time lo construction-site surface erosions tho additional pre-records-era graves discoveries kuda vacchaayi. Community-based respect-first approach , Hindu, Muslim, tribal rendu tho , modern contractors ki a norm ga evolving. Mee area lo ilanti construction-related discoveries gurinchi telusaa? Comments lo share cheyyandi , privacy OK.
— 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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