Tarnaka Room No. 13
Room 13, Tarnaka
Setting: Tarnaka student PG (Hyderabad / Telangana).
In English: Room 13, Tarnaka. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
Room 13, Tarnaka
Lock click ayindi, kaani door thiraichaledu. Rakshita key wapasu teesi number plate chusindi — door meeda brass plate "14" engraved ga. Aame key tag chethilo — aame ki PG owner Subbamma-aunty handed it to her oka half-hour mundu, oka small paper label string tho — "Room No. 13" hand-written.
Padmasree Working Women's PG, Tarnaka, NIMS hospital nunchi 1.2 km, Wheeler Apartments back lane lo. Three-storey building. Twelve rooms ladies-only. Aunty Subbamma 65 age, aame 14 years run chesthondi. Tag mismatch oka simple rule — register lo entry, key, door label match avvali. Rakshita ee PG ki new ga, aame aa rule check ki adigali.
Aame ground floor wapasu vellindi, aunty office ki.
Aame age 26. Aame Mehdipatnam nunchi shifted, aame previous PG closed ayindi February ki. Aame software tester ga, oka mid-size firm DeccanStack Labs lo (fictional) Begumpet branch lo. Aame ki Tarnaka location convenient — bus 27 route Begumpet ki direct.
Rakshita: "Aunty, naaku key 13 ga ichaaru, kaani door 14 ga number ga. Kuda mismatch?"
Subbamma: Aame register book vaipu chusindi, kaani aame eyes ekkuva slow. "Beti, aa room actually 14 , naaku 1995 lo aa PG construction lo aa room number plate accidentally 14 ga ordered, kaani memu register book lo 13 ga maintain. Room 13 number kuda standalone ga ledu , superstition kosam aa number normal ga PG buildings skip chestaaru, kaani memu aa skipping accept cheyali ledu, register book lo 13 ga maintain. Door label 14 maintenance lo wrong ga continued, naaku replace cheyaali expense kaada. Mee key 13 ga, mee room 14 plate ga, register lo 13 ga, aame okay aithundi."
Rakshita ki aa explanation slightly confusing, kaani aame accept chesindi. Aunty senior, aame ki challenge cheyali ledu first day.
Aame Room 14/13 ki vellindi. Key wapasu try chesindi. Lock turned, door opened. Inside — single cot, oka almirah, oka small study desk, attached bathroom (rare for PG, aame appreciated). Window south side ki, gali. Tarnaka main road traffic sound background.
Aame belongings settled. Evening 7 PM ki dinner mess hall, ground floor. Aame oka co-resident, peru Aishwarya, aame ki next room (15 plate, register 14) — aame friendly ga, aame aa PG lo 8 months. Aame Rakshita ki orientation ichindi.
Aishwarya: "Rakshita, mee room 14 plate ga, kaani memu casually 13 antaaru. Aunty rule register based. Kaani memu lo gossip ledu , aa room 1996 lo oka resident left, aame ki saving belongings cot kindha aame skipped, aame ki property dispute family lo, aame ki return cheyaledu. Memu ki teliyali aa story, kaani aunty disclose cheyali ledu. Mee careful ga, mee mind lo paranoia ledu, kaani simple precaution , cot kindha rare ga look cheyandi, dust gather aithundi. Aunty 4 years ki one-time deep clean schedule chestaaru, aame next deep clean April 2024 ki, aa time lo move-out chestaaru tenants. Mee 2 months only, ok mostly."
Rakshita ki aa orientation oka concern register, kaani aame normal ga continued. Aame ki cot kindha look cheyali interest ledu, aame deep clean April ki PG vere room shift cheyali aunty advice.
February 2 raathri, Friday. Rakshita Begumpet office nunchi 9 PM ki return, dinner skipped, room ki direct ga. Aame ki tired ga ee Friday ki, aame weekend Mehdipatnam friend visit planning. Aame cot meeda kurchundi laptop tho, evening ga, aame Slack messages clear cheyali.
10 PM ki aame ki room lo subtle smell register ayindi. Mild, kaani peculiar. Aame ki initially anukunna — bathroom drain emo, plumbing. Aame bathroom check, no drain smell. Aame window check, outside air normal, Tarnaka traffic sound mathrame.
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: SR Nagar Co-ed PG Pakshi
Smell increased gradually. Aame ki identify ayindi 11 PM ki — sweet, kaani heavy ga, oka florescence layer with iron undertone. Aame ki memory trigger aindi medical college days nunchi, aame B.Pharmacy aame undergraduate. Aa smell — decomposition, animal flesh, advanced stage.
Aame ki body cold sweat. Aame fast ga lechi room scan chesindi. No visible source. Aame ki cot kindha look cheyali avoidance Aishwarya warning gurthu, kaani smell intensified ga, aame ki source identify cheyaali.
Aame phone flashlight teesi cot kindha look chesindi.
Mattress kindha old wooden plank floor exposed ga, oka chinna gap lo — oka cardboard box, slid ga, dust covered ga. Box dimensions roughly 18 inches by 12 inches by 8 inches. Box lid taped ga, tape brown duct ga, partially detached.
Smell direct ga aa box nunchi. Rakshita ki body shaking. Aame box pull cheyaali ledu, aame fast ga room exit chesindi, aunty office ki ground floor ki.
Aunty office light off. Aame intlo personal quarters ground floor pakkana. Rakshita door knock chesindi.
Subbamma door thiraichindi, age 65, aame ki bathrobe tho ga, aame raathri schedule lo undi.
Rakshita: "Aunty, naa room lo cot kindha oka box undi. Smell chala bad ga, naaku decomposition la. Mee ki immediate ga inspect cheyali."
Subbamma: Aame face suddenly white ga aindi. Aame ki aa moment lo realization — Rakshita aa box discovered, aunty 28 years carry chesina secret. Aame breath fast ga.
Subbamma: "Beti, mee room ki return ledu. Mee Aishwarya room ki vellandi, naaku 30 minutes ivvandi, naaku coordinate cheyaali."
Rakshita: "Aunty, mee em context ee box ki?"
Subbamma: Aame deep breath. "Beti, naaku oka story share cheyaali. 1996 lo aa room lo oka resident, peru Mahalakshmi, age 32, aame Karimnagar nunchi, aame Hyderabad lo bank PO. Aame husband nunchi separated, aame ki domestic violence history. Aame ee PG ki refuge ga vacchindi. Aame ki husband Hyderabad ki track chesaadu 1996 March lo, aame PG ki vacchaaru evening one day. Memu ki violation rules , gentlemen ki visit only common room, evening 8 PM waraku , kaani aayana sister kosam ani lied ga entered, aayana Mahalakshmi room ki velli, oka argument."
Subbamma: "Naaku aa argument heard ground floor lo, naaku stairs ekki velli interfere cheyaali ani thinking, kaani naaku frozen ga. Naa husband aa time lo undedhi (aayana 2003 lo poyaaru), aayana naaku 'memu involve avvadu, family matter' ani told. Naaku silent ga. Five minutes argument lo, sudden ga silent. Tarwatha husband stairs digi vellipoyaadu, fast ga. Naa husband aame room ki velli inspect chesaaru, aame ki Mahalakshmi cot meeda padi ga, aame ki neck strangulation marks visible ga, aame breathless. Aayana check chesaaru pulse , gone."
Subbamma: "Naaku aa moment ki rendu options , police call cheyaali, or family contact cheyaali. Naa husband decision teesukunaaru , police ki call cheyali ledu, PG reputation destroyed aithundi, memu ki business ki impact. Aayana suggestion , aame body ki temporary disposal, husband ki accountability transfer cheyaali, evidence preserve cheyaali."
Subbamma: "Memu ki aame body ki cot kindha sealed cardboard box lo place chesaamu, formaldehyde solution lo wrapped (aayana ki medical store contact, supply procured), tarwatha aame husband ki contact chesaamu — 'mee wife ki accident ga PG lo, memu ki cleanup support cheyali, kaani mee accountability official ga ivvaali. Mee 24 hours lo PG ki return cheyaali, body teesukoni vellaali, police case official ga register cheyali.'
Subbamma: "Husband 24 hours pass aindi, return ledu. Memu ki phone calls 3 days ki ignored. Memu ki aa moment ki realization , husband disappeared. Memu ki aame body ekkadiki transfer cheyali , public ga handle cheyali ledu memu ki guilty acceptance aithundi witness ga. Memu ki box ni cot kindha permanent ga maintain chesamu, formaldehyde regular ga maintenance chesaamu, room ki rotation tenants assign chesaamu."
Subbamma: "Naa husband 2003 lo poyaaru, aame guilt heart attack triggered. Naaku aame solo ee PG run chesaa post 2003. Naaku ee box about cheyaali ani decision teesukoni faltered ga every year. Naaku Mahalakshmi family Karimnagar lo, aame parents aame missing reported, kaani 1996 missing case dormant ayindi. Aame parents 2010 lo poyaaru without aame returned. Aame brother Hyderabad lo, naaku contact untaadu, kaani naaku confess cheyaledu inka."
Rakshita silent ga listened. Aame body shaking. Aame age 26, aame ki ee story ki criminal complicity expose hidden 28 years. Aame mind clear, aame decision teesukundi.
Rakshita: "Aunty, mee ki naa karuna teliyaali, kaani memu ki ee truth release cheyaali. Aa manishi 28 years cot kindha unresolved ga, aame parents poyaaru aame find without. Mee oka phone call cheyaali , Tarnaka police station, naa support ga vasthaa. Mee guilty plea voluntary ga, mee 65 age aa offer judicial leniency consider aithundi. Naa role witness ga support cheyaali."
Subbamma silent ga listen chesindi. Aame age 65, aame ki aa night ki decision pending 28 years. Aame nodded slow ga.
Subbamma: "Beti, mee ki gratitude. Naaku aa weight carry ki maximum. Naa husband decision lo naaku silent ga acceptance, naaku 28 years complicit. Aame manishi memory release cheyaali. Memu police call cheyaali ippudu."
Rakshita aa raathri Aishwarya room lo stayed. Subbamma 11:30 PM ki Tarnaka police station ki direct ga vellindi, formal complaint filed. Inspector duty officer aame statement teesukunaaru. Aame police aa raathri ki PG inspection scheduled.
3 AM ki PG ki police arrived, oka constable team plus inspector. Subbamma aame Room 14/13 ki teesukoni vellindi. Cot moved, box exposed, sealed evidence ga officials handled. Forensic team Hyderabad city division nunchi morning ki scheduled.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Narayanaguda Mettlu
Investigation 6 weeks teesukundi. Box lo Mahalakshmi remains, formaldehyde preservation tho, identifiable ga skeletal-stage. DNA samples Karimnagar lo Mahalakshmi brother nunchi cross-matched, identification confirmed. Mahalakshmi husband — aayana peru records lo Venkateswara Rao — aayana 2008 lo poyaaru Hyderabad lo separate lo, natural causes, aayana ki aa case lo accountability charge possible kaadu.
Subbamma judicial process ki cooperated. Aame ki charges — concealment of corpse, obstruction of investigation, accessory after the fact (technical legal terms). Aame voluntary disclosure aame age, aame self-reporting consider chesaaru. Trial 2024 mid lo conducted, aame ki probation 5 years plus community service. Jail term avoided due to age and self-disclosure.
Mahalakshmi remains brother dwara teesukoni vellaaru Karimnagar ki, aa April 2024 lo proper cremation conducted, aame parents next-to memorial ga. Family closure achieved.
Padmasree Working Women's PG closed ayindi 2024 May lo. Subbamma aame Karimnagar ki shifted, aame community service local ga conducted. Building owner family different ga ee plot ki commercial ga sold.
Rakshita ee PG nunchi February 5 ki shifted, oka different PG Tarnaka same area lo. Aame office Begumpet continued. Aame ki naaku ee story share chesindi 2024 March ki, naa Tarnaka client visit time. Naaku permission tho ee fiction adaptation. Aame request — aame peru retain cheyaali, naa story published, aame oka witness role acknowledge cheyali.
Rakshita ki naaku final ga.
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Hyderabad
Rakshita: "Sai-anna, naaku aa night decision teesukoni Subbamma-aunty ki direct route , police call ki suggestion. Naaku alternative ga, naaku silent ga aa box gurinchi ignore cheyali, aunty 28 years complicit ga continue cheyali. Naaku aame manishi Mahalakshmi ki pending. Naaku aame brother contact ki responsibility. Non-harm oka concept active ga, silent ga aa harm continue aithundi. Naa silent acceptance kaadu non-harm."
Naaku aame perspective tho agree.
Author's note
Tarnaka NIMS hospital area 1980s nunchi PG hub, naaku 2014-2016 lo naa NIMS check-up regular visits ki area familiar. 1990s decade Hyderabad lo domestic violence cases reported low ga, working women PGs refuge ga act chesedi, kaani institutional support absent ga. Aa decade lo similar concealment cases real ga occurred, news papers lo small references — Tarnaka, Mehdipatnam side, separated women track chesina husbands violence. Subbamma character fictional, kaani aame archetype — PG owner family business protect kosam silence — aalanti ethical compromises 1990s middle-class culture ki standard ga. Mahalakshmi character fictional, kaani aame parallel actual missing women cases 1990s lo Karimnagar-Hyderabad axis lo many. Non-harm oka concept kaani silent complicity — silence is harm. Rakshita ki naaku Tarnaka client visit time meet, aame courage tho 26 years old age lo aa moment lo elder ki direct route suggest chesindi, aalanti decisions life-changing ga. Mee ki PG, hostel, residence lo alanti structural concealment patterns — open or hidden — observe chesaaraa? Comments lo cheppandi.
— 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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