Chandrayangutta Clock Tower

Post #074 · City Bhayam · 2024-03-17 · Ahimsa

Katha saarāmsham · Premise: The clock's minute hand jumps back exactly seven minutes every Thursday 11:07 PM. An engineering student maps the pattern.
Setting: Chandrayangutta Circle (Hyderabad / Telangana).
In English: Chandrayangutta Clock Tower. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.

Chandrayangutta Clock Tower

Minute hand jumped back. Nadeem ki phone alarm set chesi, tripod camera record mode lo run chestunnadu, 11:06:55 PM timestamp. Aa second lo screen full chesi clock tower mukham zoom chesadu — Thursday, March 14, 2024. Exactly 11:07 PM ki — minute hand backward ki seven minutes jumped ayindi.

11:07 nunchi 11:00 back ki velli poyindi.

Record lo captured ayindi. Slow motion playback kuda tarvatha verify chesadu. Arachetula athade body ki oka strange shiver — kaani aa thrill joy la kaadu, kaani oka dread, deep one.

Nadeem Ahmed ki 23 years. JNTU Hyderabad final year mechanical engineering student. Last 3 months nunchi Chandrayangutta Circle lo unna 1960s era municipal clock tower gurinchi research chesthunnadu — ayana project thesis "Urban Infrastructure Anomalies in Old City" ani topic tho. Project guide Prof. Dr. Javed Ahmed ayanaki free time lo support chesthunnaaru. Nadeem thiyyadam moolam — clock tower anomaly local legend ga undi. Prathi Thursday rathri 11:07 PM ki, minute hand backward ki seven minutes chepputundi.

Local old-timers aa vishayam 40 years nunchi cheppthharu. Nadeem ammamma kuda cheppindi — ayana puttangaane, 2000s lo, cheppedi — "Rey beta, Thursday raatri clock tower kinda padagaka. Adhi shayataan ka waqt." Nadeem hasadu, logical person, rational. Meditator, atheist-leaning. Kaani 2024 January lo YouTube lo oka amateur documentary chusaadu, aa clock tower gurinchi. Ayanaki curiosity peruga. January 18 nunchi prathi Thursday rathri ayana aa circle ki vellaadu, observation chesaadu. Patterns map chesaadu.

Pattern exact ga consistent ga undi. Thursday only. 11:07 PM only. 7 minutes backward only. Other days — clock normal. Nadeem data excel lo maintain chesaadu.

Aa Thursday March 14, 2024 ki ayana 10th consecutive Thursday observation. Video record chesi prof ki handover cheyyadam goal.

Chandrayangutta Circle 1948 Police Action tarvatha Hyderabad State lo inclusion ayina area. History chala heavy — 1948 September lo Indian Army moved into Hyderabad. Chandrayangutta aa time lo outer boundary ga undedi, Razakar militia base areas lo oka cheekati corner. Police Action lo civilian casualties gurinchi records full ga release kaaledu, kaani historians estimate chesaru — 40,000 to 200,000 civilians chanipoyaru aa 5 days lo. Actual number debate gaa undi 76 years nunchi. Chandrayangutta lo specifically oka mass grave site undedi 1949 post ani konni historian reports lo claim ayyindi — Sundarlal Committee Report 1949 lo reference undi. Municipal Corporation 1962 lo aa area lo clock tower construct chesindi — "To mark the integration of Chandrayangutta into the new city." Oka civic gesture.

Pattern discovery: Clock tower oka specific spot midha niluchuni undi. Thursday 11:07 PM means — 1948 September 17 Thursday night kuda 11:07 PM ga undi, when aa mass killings lo oka major incident jarigindi. Nadeem ammamma cheppedi — "Beta, aa time lo mee taatagaru ayya time ki bayata unnaadu. Ayana bhayam tho intiki velli, mee nanamma tho intlo daagi unnadaru. Aa time roju ippativaraku family lo andariki gurthu."

Nadeem taatagaru aa night bayata unnadu kaani saaga bache. Ayana friend ayan 35 years, Chhota Dilshad-bhai, a tailor — ayana shop daggara niluchuni unnaadu aa 11:07 PM ki. Ayana chanipoyaru aa night.

Aa Thursday March 14 rathri ki Nadeem 10:45 PM ki Chandrayangutta Circle ki cherukunnadu. Tripod set chesaadu, clock tower base daggara 20 meters away. Police constables patrolling chesthunnaaru, kaani Nadeem permission letter (Dr. Javed Ahmed academic letter) chupinchi accommodation pondaaru. Constable Raju-bhai ayanani free ga leave chesaadu.

11:00 PM — clock tower full view. Sodium yellow light casting on the white-painted stone column, 40 feet tall. Top lo 4-sided clock face. Minute hand long, slim, black. Hour hand short, wider. 11:00 PM ki standard position. Seconds hand normal ga tick chestundi.

Nadeem camera record on chesaadu. Audio kuda on. Ayana oka bench midha koorchunnadu, phone lo timelapse scrub mode.

11:03. 11:04. 11:05. Normal progression.

11:06. Seconds hand slow ayyindi slightly — Nadeem visual ga note chesaadu. 0.8 seconds intervals ga tick ayindi, standard 1.0 kaadu. Camera recording continuous.

→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Mecca Masjid 4 AM

11:07:00 ki — minute hand suddenly jerked backward. Not smoothly. Not mechanical glitch la. Physical jump — like someone pushed it. Minute hand went from 11:07 position back to 11:00 position, instantaneously. Seconds hand kuda reset ayyindi 00 ki.

Nadeem heart racing. Video confirmed. He exhaled slowly.

Kaani aa moment lo — something different vacchindi aa night. Previous 9 Thursdays lo cover chesaledu.

Sodium light slightly flickered. Aa flicker tarvatha, around the clock tower base, shadows aina la start ayyayi — kaani technically shadows ga kaadu. Oka group of silhouettes — standing, sitting, partially obscured. Maybe 12 or 15 of them. They weren't there before. They hadn't walked in. They emerged from the flickering space itself.

Nadeem camera zoom chesi view chustunnadu viewfinder lo. Adhi visual feedback chupistundi — video record avtondi ayinpa kooda ayanaki kanipinchinda silhouette lu. Faces unclear. Clothing old style — 1940s era, kurtas and pyjamas, saris, uniforms of some kind. Razakar militia outfits ayinpa unochu.

Group silent ga niluchuni undi. Aina la movement ledu. Kaani aa group lo nunchi oka figure — shorter, slight build — slowly walked forward, toward Nadeem.

Nadeem frozen. Hand shaking on tripod. Camera still recording.

Aa figure nadusthundi daggaraki vasthundi — 20 meters, 15 meters, 10 meters. Aa manushudi outlines clearer ayyayi. Tailor uniform, old Singer sewing machine hand bag, black Karakul cap, long beard. Age around 35.

Chhota Dilshad-bhai. Nadeem taatagaru friend, 1948 lo chanipoyina manishi. Photos lo ayana chusadu chinappudu — ammamma pata family album lo, old black and white. Ayana face identical ga undi aa figure face ki.

Figure 5 meters away ki vacchi aagipoyadu. Nadeem ni silent ga chusthaadu. Sad eyes. Not angry. Not threatening.

Dilshad: "Beta Nadeem, tumhari dadima ka kya haal?" — ayana voice weak ga, papery, dust-filled. Urdu accent 1940s era. Ammamma ni peru tisi adigadu.

Nadeem noru dry ayyindi. Voice raaledu. Ayana nodded silent ga.

Dilshad: "Beta, yeh ghanta ghadi woh raat ki awaaz rakhti hai. 1948 September 17, 11:07 PM ke baad humaare saath kya hua , woh waqt har haftey yahan wapas aata hai. Hum sab yahan aate hain. Tumhare dadaji ne mera wada toda tha."

Nadeem confused. Taatagaru ayana friend ki emaina wada unna? Ammamma peyparu em cheppaledu.

Dilshad: "1948 mein humari planning thi, mere liye aur tumhare dadaji ke liye, hum dono Yakutpura side bhag jayenge jab fauj aayi. Lekin tumhare dadaji uss raat mujhe bhool gaye. Woh apne ghar mein chhup gaye. Main akele yahan aaya iss circle ke paas, tumhare dadaji ka intezar karte karte. Ek squad aayi. Mujhe maar diya. Yeh circle, yeh ghadi , yeh meri gawahi hai. Tumhare dadaji ki zindagi mein aaye din yeh baat khali thi. Unhone kabhi mujhse maafi nahi maangi. Marne se pehle mere paas aa ke nahi kahaa , Chhota, mujhe maaf kar de."

Taatagaru 2011 lo chanipoyaru. Natural death, age 81. Family ki oka peace ga undedi ayana end ki. Kaani Chhota Dilshad cheppe secret — taata carry chesadu oka vishayam, chivari waraku acknowledge cheyaledu. Non-harm ki oka layer undi: only physical harm avoidance kaadu, emotional harm avoidance kuda. Friend ni bhulipovadam, silent ga guilt ni carry cheyyadam — ivi kuda manushul ki hurt chestayi, ancestral level lo kuda untayi. Ammamma eppudu cheppedi — "Mee taata silent manushudu, kaani chinna chinna regrets kinda carry chesaaru."

Nadeem: "Chhota-chacha, maa taata 2011 lo gate poyaaru. Ippudu ayana niluchanni valatunte, naaku ela cheyyalanu?"

Dilshad: "Beta, tumhare dadaji ab nahi hai. Unke taraf se tumhari dadima ya tumhara family unke bhaichara samaaj ko meri yaad mein kuch kar sakte hain , uski wajah se yeh circle mein jo cycle chalti hai, woh band hoga. Meri koi photo nahi bachi. Mera koi beta nahi tha. Mere saat yeh samaaj bhool gaya mujhe. Agar tumhari dadima Yakutpura Masjid mein meri yaad mein ek Quran-khwani rakh dein, agar tumhari family meri shaqhsiyat ko dil se wapas laaye samaaj mein, toh yeh chakkr pura ho jayega."

Nadeem silent nodded. Chhota Dilshad slow ga back vellaaru. Group lopala merge ayyaru. Group dissolve ayindi, like sodium light flicker ayina tarvatha annii missing.

→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Falaknuma Veluthura

11:07 ki — clock tower minute hand reset ayindi 11:00 ki. Pattern repeat ayindi aa Thursday.

Nadeem camera off chesaadu. Tripod pack chesi auto pilchiukuni intiki vellaadu.

Next day Friday March 15, Nadeem ammamma ki full story cheppadu. Ammamma 78 years, fragile body, kaani sharp mind. Ayana listening completed ki oka giant saans teesindi, tears kallu nunchi velladi.

Ammamma: "Beta, maa Nanna eppudu cheppedu naaku, kaani aayana chivari rojullo oka night lo tea tagutu chinna ga cheppindi , 'Raasheeda, main zindagi mein ek ghalati ki. Maine apne dost ko bhool diya. Mujhe maafi maangna chahiye tha.' Aayana cheppaledu em galati ayindi ani. Nenu ask cheyyaledu. Tarvatha ayana gate poyaru. Ippudu artham ayindi. Chhota Dilshad-bhai , ayana gurinchi naaku 1960s lo oka-rendu saarlu ammayi cheppindi , mee taata lo aa manishi peru rajinga ani. Kaani silent ga poyindi."

Ammamma next Sunday Yakutpura Masjid ki velli, ayana community elders tho conversation chesindi. Chhota Dilshad-bhai ki oka Quran-khwani majlis organize chesindi Sunday March 24 ki. Nadeem kuda attend chesaadu. 30 community people. Oka chinna ceremony — Quran recitation, biryani sharing, elders tan matter cheppadam. Ammamma Chhota Dilshad-bhai gurinchi short speech icchindi — "Humare khandaan ne isko bhulaya tha. Aaj main aapke saamne maafi maangti hoon. Mera shauhar zindagi mein yeh nahi kar paaya, main unke taraf se kar rahi hoon."

Oka chinna plaque kuda Yakutpura Masjid community hall wall midha install chesaru — "In remembrance of Mohammed Dilshad (Chhota Dilshad), 1913-1948, tailor of Chandrayangutta, friend and neighbour."

Aa Thursday March 28 ki Nadeem malli Chandrayangutta Circle ki vellaadu. 10:45 PM ki tripod set chesaadu. 11:00 — normal. 11:03, 11:04. 11:07 ki — clock tower minute hand normal ga move ayindi. Backward jump ledu. Pattern broken.

Nadeem camera off chesaadu. Oka silent ga nilbadi clock tower chusthunnadu. Ammamma aa moment lo intlo tv chustu undi — ayana phone lo ping chesaadu — "Daadi, circle pe aaj normal hai. Dilshad-chacha chale gaye."

Real-world context: Wikipedia — Hyderabad

Ammamma reply chesindi — "Allah ne sun li. Aaya ghar."

Nadeem thesis project ni "Urban Clock Anomalies" nunchi "Historical Memory in Civic Architecture" ga revise chesaadu. Prof. Javed Ahmed approved. Nadeem aa project presentation lo Chhota Dilshad story fictional filter lo Historical casualties invisible memory ki oka example ga present chesadu. 2024 December ki project A+ gaa graded.

Chandrayangutta Circle lo clock tower ippudu normal ga runs aytondi. Thursday-backward pattern aagipoindi. Local old-timers kuda notice chesaaru — kaani emi jarigindi ani evaru explain cheyyaledu. Silent civic gesture, silent closure.

Author's note

Chandrayangutta Old Hyderabad geography lo oka specific history-heavy corner. 1948 Police Action lo civilian casualties exactly ela jaragayi ani full documentation ippatikinka release avvaledu. Sundarlal Committee Report 1949 lo preliminary estimates undayi, but full report 2013 lo only partial ga declassify ayindi. Current historians Telangana formation (2014) post ee topic research lo active ga unnaru. Osmania University history department 2023 lo oka academic conference organize chesindi aa topic on. Nenu maa ammamma tho 2022 Ramzan time lo Old City visit chesanu — ayana Karimnagar origin, but ayana cousin Hyderabad lo undedi 1948 lo, aa family lo similar heavy memories unte naaku share chesaaru. Non-harm kewalam physical ga kaadu. Friends ni forget cheyyadam, memory ni family lo carry cheyyadam, silent regrets — ivi anni non-harm principle ki violations, quiet harm patterns. 2024 lo Hyderabad Old City history memorialisation gurinchi community discussions active ga start ayyayi, kaani political-sensitive matter kinda slow process. Mee family lo old stories — historical memory, unspoken regrets — untayaa? Comments lo share cheyyandi.

— Sai Kiran · Lighted Tales

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

Further reading · Real-world context

Telugu horror stories

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