Falaknuma Veluthura
Falaknuma Backroad
Setting: Falaknuma service road (Hyderabad / Telangana).
In English: Falaknuma Backroad. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
Falaknuma Backroad
Ee katha maa friend Arshad Khan ki 2023 December lo jarigindi, nijam ga nijam. Ayana 27 years, cyclist ga hobby ayana, weekend ki Hyderabad lo heritage routes lo cycle chestaadu. Ayana story naaku Sharing chesadu oka Irani chai meet lo 2024 January lo Toli Chowki daggara. Nenu adhe chevi tho vinnanu, tarvatha nenu aa Falaknuma backroad ni day lo chusanu once verify ki. Aa backroad ippudu kuda unnaadi. Horse traces ledu, kaani night ki evvaru velaru aa road lo — local people aa gurinchi idenappo silent ga chepthaaru.
Arshad Hyderabad Tolichowki lo undi. Ayana IT company lo pani chesthadu, WFH mostly. Weekend cycling ayana passion. Ayan specialty — Hyderabad heritage sites around cycle velladam. Golconda road, Qutb Shahi tombs loop, Osmania University ring, Chowmahalla Palace perimeter — all covered. December 2023 lo ayana decision chesaadu Falaknuma Palace perimeter route cover cheyyali ani. Maps mobile lo plan chesaadu — Palace main gate nunchi rear service road loop tho back ki return chestaadu.
Falaknuma Palace 1893 lo construction ayyindi. Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra aa time lo Paigah family member, Palace ayana design chesaru. 1897 lo Nizam VI Mehboob Ali Khan ayanaki gift ga tisukunnadu. Tarvatha guest house laga use cheyadam. Queen Mary 1905 lo visit chesaaru. 2010 tarvatha Taj group management lo luxury hotel. Public entry limited — tickets thoone, pre-booking ayina. Ayite Palace main gate tarvatha oka service road undi, rear side nunchi staff entry ki use ayyadi old. Aa road ippudu public access ledu, ayite restricted. But cyclists, bike riders, aa road ni low profile ga use chestaaru.
Arshad aa Sunday December 17, 2023 ki morning 5:30 AM ki plan chesaadu. Aa time lo traffic thakkuva, palace perimeter empty, photo opportunities good. Ayana bicycle Firefox Bad Attitude 27.5, headlight bright, helmet, water bottle. Navigation mobile handlebar mount lo.
Ayana 5:45 AM ki Palace main gate daggarki vachadu. Sodium streetlights kanipisthunnayi, Palace long wall daggara long shadow la. Ayana service road ki entry point search chesaadu — map lo indicate ayindi a pedaa right side narrow gap. Traffic ledu. Ayana cycle aa gap lo entered.
Road narrow ga, smooth kaadu — old cobblestone patches, some stretches tarred, some unkempt. Grass side edges lo. Palace wall on left side — 12 feet tall stone wall, British-era architecture. Right side lo some abandoned staff quarters — 1920s style, shuttered. Silent.
Arshad cycle maintaining chestu mellage velladu. 6:00 AM ki ayana approximately 800 meters cover chesaadu. Photos kuda teesaadu phone tho — wall reflections, old staff quarters, neon-orange sunrise horizon lo starting.
Aa moment lo — oka sound vacchindi ayana back nunchi.
Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop.
Arshad mind lo first-pass analysis — horse hooves sound. Rhythm clean ga, like a horse pulling something, maybe a tonga. Sound ki behind ayana sumaaru 50-70 meters dooram la undi. Kaani aa area lo horse-drawn carriage eppudu ledu. Falaknuma Palace 1967 until horse-carriages were part of royal stables, but post 1967 aa practice stopped. Commercial tangas Old City lo last ones 1990s lo extinct ayyayi. Local NIMS hospital daggara tangas 2010s lo kuda sometimes kanipinchedi, but 2020 post completely gone.
Arshad pulled over side ki. Cycle aapi, turned head. Aa back direction lo — oka tonga-style horse-drawn carriage approaching. Single black horse, full harness, bridle-bells (tchingling tchingling), carriage behind — black painted, 1920s era design, canopy roof, two wheels tall 4-feet diameter.
Driver seat mundu — oka man, long coat, red turban, moustache, whip in hand. Old-era liveried driver outfit, like Nizam-era royal stable uniform.
Backside lo carriage body inside — oka couple, elderly. Man in sherwani, woman in heavy silk, kind of formal Hyderabadi nobility attire. Old-time, not 2023 style.
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Chandrayangutta Clock Tower
Arshad cycle step down chesaadu side. Cycle wall ki lean chesaadu. Horse carriage daggaraki vasthundi. 40 meters. 20 meters. 10 meters. Ayana ki okka saari silpana vacchindi — aa pair elderly couple chudoriki gurinchindi, slightly slumped, movement chaala limited. Kallu open ga, kaani straight ahead look cheyadam, blank expression.
Driver 5 meters daggaraki vacchi carriage aapindi. Whip pedai lo, horse quietly standing. Driver Arshad ni chustaadu.
Driver: "Beta, lift chahiye? Paas mein hi jaana hai?"
Voice ayanaki surprise ga undi — Urdu-Dakhni, 1940s accent, same pattern laga Charminar, Mecca Masjid lo vinipisthundi old locals lo.
Arshad rejected politely.
Arshad: "Nahi bhai, meri cycle hai. Shukriya. Aap kaise idhar subah subah, yeh road pe?"
Driver oka sad smile. Horse pakkaga nilchuni undi, tail occasionally swishing.
Driver: "Beta, hum roz subah yahan hain. 4:30 se 6:30. Begum saheba ko palace mein le ja rahe hain milne ke liye. Unhone bahut lambi wait ki hai. Aap aage jaiye. Hum bhi chalenge."
Arshad nodded. Ayana cycle lechi mount chesaadu. Pedaled forward. Carriage peripheral vision lo back ayindi. Ayana pedal chesthu 100 meters velladu — clop clop sound behind ayana follow avtondi. Arshad speed perigichadu. 200 meters. 400 meters. Clop clop sound same distance lo. Horse-speed human-cycle-speed match avtondi.
Arshad halt chesi veesina — carriage kuda halt ayindi. Same 30 meters distance lo.
Arshad ki panic start ayyindi. Body lo sweat, despite December cold. Service road loop end point daggara sumaaru 800 meters more. Aa loop Palace main gate ki return ayyadu.
Arshad decision chesaadu — vegam ga full speed pedal chestu, loop complete chesi return cheyyali. Ayana bottle water oka sip tagadu. Pedaled.
400 meters cover chesaadu. Clop clop behind. 600 meters. Clop clop. 700 meters. Arshad turn daggaraki vacchaadu, end of loop kanipisthundi. Aa moment lo — oka human voice vinipinchindi behind carriage nunchi, feminine voice, soft ga —
Begum: "Beta, ruko. Ek minute. Meri baat suno."
Arshad halt chesaadu. Cycle wall ki lean chesaadu malli. Carriage aapidindi. Aa old lady — begum saheba — carriage lo nunchi chinna ga head tilt chesi Arshad ni chusthundi. Ayana face ki wrinkles, kaani eyes young ga undi, pain ledu, ekkuva sadness.
Begum: "Beta, humari kahani suniye. Main Begum Zahida, yeh mere shauhar Nawab Sulaiman. Hum 1948 mein yeh palace ke quarters mein rehte the, yeh service road par koi ghar tha hamara. September 16 ki raat ko jab fauj aayi, humne decision kiya palace mein jaake refuge le, kyunki palace mein britisher officials bhi the, wahan safe hoga. Humari daughter Firoza, bahut beemaar thi, 8 saal ki, uske saath. Humne tonga li, iss road se palace ke main gate tak ja rahe the. Humari tonga palace ke main gate par ruki , lekin main gate bandh tha. Darban ne hume andar nahi aane diya. Kaha , 'ab fauj ka hukum, koi bhi andar nahi aa sakta. Palace secure kiya gaya hai.' Hum wapas is road par aaye. Raat bhar is road par baithe rahe. Firoza ki tabiyat bigad gayi. Subah 5:30 tak uski saans band ho gayi. Humne usi raat apni beti kho di."
Arshad silent ga vini. Ayana heart bhaari ga feel avtondi.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Golconda Bhayabhramam
Begum: "Mera shauhar Sulaiman ne is road par apni beti ki laash ke saath puri zindagi pugaa. Hum 1948 ki raat ke baad kaafi kam saalon tak jeete rahe. 1952 mein dono gaye. Lekin yeh road, yeh palace wall, yeh main gate , yeh sab hamari yaadon mein hai. Hum har raat, har subah aate hain. Firoza ki qabar is road ke kinare ek neem ke ped ke neeche hai , woh neem ka ped ab bhi khada hai, aap pakke 200 meters piche jaakar dekhe, left side mein. Kisi ne uss qabar ki dekhbhal nahi ki 76 saal se. Vahan sirf ek patthar rakha hai, aur uska naam nahi likha hai."
Arshad nodded. Ayana 200 meters back pedal chesaadu. Left side search chesadu, old neem tree kanipinchindi, gnarled, huge canopy. Kiyyada oka small stone slab, worn out, unpainted, unmarked. Grave size chinna, a child's. Arshad stopped. He knelt down. Phone light adjusted.
Stone blank ga undi. Kaani dust kinda oka edge lo faded arabic letters — "Firoza bint Sulaiman, 1940-1948, Palace main gate ke baad ki raat."
Begum: "Beta, tumhari ek kaam kar sakte ho? Is patthar par Firoza ka naam lagwa do. Kisi bhi mason ya calligrapher se, tum Tolichowki waqf board mein jaake register kar sakte ho. Uske baad Firoza ko chain mil jayegi. Humne 76 saal wait kiya. Koi nahi aaya. Aap pehle aadmi ho jo ruke."
Arshad tears kallu nunchi paaraayi. Ayana ki pirayam ledu, kaani aa moment lo oka old pain deeply sensed ayindi. A child's grave, unvisited 76 years, parents who could not rest because their daughter wasn't acknowledged. Ayana nodded.
Arshad: "Begum saheba, main kar doonga. Next weekend tak."
Begum silent ga smiled. Carriage slowly turned around. Driver clicked the whip, horse started clop-clop back. Sound faded into the dawn mist. 7:00 AM ayipoyindi. Sun rising behind the palace.
Arshad grave daggara 10 minutes niluchuni silent prayer chesaadu. Tarvatha cycle tho wait chesaadu Palace main gate ki cherukuni, gate security guard (modern Taj hotel staff) ki Rs 200 icchaadu, oka coke ki money, Palace gate outside bench midha koorchunadu. Sunrise full ayipoyindi.
Next week Arshad Tolichowki Waqf Board office ki vellaadu. Oka local mason Kareem-chacha ni contact chesadu (family business, 3 generations). Begum cheppina details tho — "Firoza bint Sulaiman, 1940-1948, Falaknuma Palace Service Road Neem Tree." Stone name engrave chesaru. Waqf Board register lo grave record created. Mason fee Rs 2,500 Arshad personally paid.
Installation Sunday December 24, 2023 ki complete ayipoyindi. Arshad aa roju neem tree daggara velladu, stone installation chusaadu. Clean, name clearly engraved, chota decorative border. Respectful.
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Hyderabad
Next Sunday December 31 ki Arshad Falaknuma service road ki malli vellaadu — ayana cycling routine ki. 5:45 AM ki service road entered. Silent. No clop-clop sounds. No carriage. No driver. No begum. Ayana 800 meters loop complete chesaadu smoothly, turn point reached, return route lo same path back. Nothing followed.
Neem tree daggaraki velladu. Grave stone intact ga undi. Small oil lamp akkada unde — evaro akkada night lo vachi chinna diya pettinattu. Petalu, agarbattis, chinna chotu cleaning. Begum family ayna acknowledge chesinattu. Peace finally.
Arshad aa route tarvatha chala saarlu ride chesaadu. Kaani horse-carriage eppati kosam raaledu. 76 years of waiting had ended.
Author's note
Falaknuma Palace history heavy ga undi. 1893 lo construction, Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra commissioned it, British-Italian neoclassical style. 1897 lo Nizam VI gift ga tisukunnadu. 1947 Partition era lo a lot of aristocratic families aa perimeter lo refuge theskunnaaru — a real historical fact. September 1948 Police Action lo Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma, Yakutpura perimeter areas lo civilian incidents multiple reports lo undaayi. Families ki aa memory generation to generation carry ayyedi. 2010 post Taj group management lo luxury hotel ga ayipoyindi, kaani service road side access public kosam limited, night security moderate. Horse-carriages aa area lo 1967 tarvatha commercial ga disbanded ayyayi. Nenu 2023 December lo Arshad-bhai meet chesina time lo ayana ee story naaku full details tho share chesaadu, nenu ayana consent tho ee fictional filter lo convert chesanu, real address details altered. Karuna annedi oka dormant force la — 76 years silent ga undi, oka stranger compassion tho awaken ayipothundi. Mee ki Hyderabad heritage zones lo cycling or walking lo ela experiences unayaa? 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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