Aakari Bus — Part 5
The Last Bus — Part 5
Setting: Karimnagar bus stand dawn (Karimnagar).
In English: The Last Bus — Part 5. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
The Last Bus — Part 5
[VOICE 1] "Abbayi, nuvvu decide chesinaav?"
[VOICE 2] "Ledhu mama. Nenu inkaa rendu tickets chethilo pattukuni unnaanu. Rendu kuda valid — okati ippati body vadhilethaa, okati 20 years deferred. Naaku rendu bhayam."
[VOICE 1] "Bhayam anedhi chivari okka filter. Aa filter dhaatitey, clear ga nuvvu chudagaligathav. Ippudu mind lo em kanipisthundi nee ki — nee Amma, nee Sanjana, nee office, nee apartment?"
[VOICE 2] "Kanipisthundi. Nenu Sanjana tho rendu months nunchi message cheyyaledhu. Aame naku engagement ring choosi 'think about it' ani cheppindi — nenu 'yes' cheppalsindhi, 'time kaavali' ani cheppi drag chesthunnaa. Amma phone pick cheyyaledhu ee Wednesday — maa Dad surgery aindi small one — nenu Madhav tho tea meeting lo unda. Amma message lo cheppindi adhi emi urgent kaadhu — adhi urgent aipoyindi kaani nuvvu cheyyaledhu, cheyyalenappati flavor adi."
12:38 AM. Bus final kilometers lo.
Idi Kiran tho Musalayana-conductor compartment lo 1:1 conversation. Bus Koheda tharvaata inkaa 3 km Karimnagar Bus Stand ki. Ticket rendu Kiran cheyyi lo. Kiran chesaasinadaniki try chesthunnadu. 23 mandhi passengers ippudu silent — andharu acknowledge aayipoyaaru, andharu present Kiran ni chooduthunnaaru, andharu Kiran choice kosam wait chesthunnaaru.
Musalayana: "Chepaamu. Ticket One accept chesthe, bus stand lo nuvvu digu, but physical body lo ne body nuvvu enter cheyyaledhu. Adi bus lo nunchi substitute kaavali. Aa Parvathi aunty driver slot lo ki move aipothundi, aame release avuthundi, 37 years ki free. Aame son Prateek, atani intlo, tomorrow morning 6 AM ki oka feeling vasthundi, 'amma free aipoyindi'. Atanu aa pink scarf, aa kavita, gurthu vasthundhi, atani mind lo oka peaceful sensation. Atanu ninchi vere lekka lo live chestaru. Naa free ga, conductor slot vacant avuthundi. Nenu 56 years tharvaata finally intiki vellagaligitunnaanu, maa amma 1978 lo chanipoyindi, naa chelli 2003 lo, kaani nenu vaari photos ga memories lo ninchagaligithanu ippudu. Maa brother 2019 lo, naa wife... nenu 1967 lo engage aipoyaanu, pelli aravaledu, wedding 1968 January lo, aa chicken biryani aa wedding ante. Ippudu nenu aa wedding ki-go-home ga relese avutaanu. Aa release lo."
Kiran Ticket One ni chooshaaru.
Kiran: "Rendovadi, Ticket Two?"
Musalayana: "Rendovadhi accept cheste, nuvvu digu, physical ga intiki velavachu. 2024 June 28 ki Karimnagar, intiki cheravachu. 2024 July 1 ki Hyderabad office vellavachu. 20 years normal continue avuthundhi. Kaani, prathi Thursday month last Thursday, naa phone lo oka notification vacchthundi, '∞'. Nuvvu aa night MGBS ki velli cheyyaali, Platform 17 daggara oka passenger ki musalayana ga 'Rey bangaaram' cheppali. Naku 20 years. 240 trips approximately. 2044 ki nuvvu official conductor. Aa time ki nuvvu Aged 52, but ee bus lo permanent. Parvathi aunty continues as driver-trapped. 23 passengers release avvaru. They wait. Future Kiran, you in 2044, confirms the slot. Ee loop repeats."
Kiran Ticket Two ni chooshaaru. Ticket weight ipudu heavy ga feel avuthundi, inside a different way.
Kiran: "Mama, nenu ee rendu tickets madhyana lo oka arjan. Oka third option undho?"
Musalayana chinna ga navvaru. First time Kiran chooshinattu atanu humor ga navvaaru.
Musalayana: "Babu, prati system lo oka loophole undi, kaani aa loophole use cheyyadaaniki price undi. Third option, nuvvu driver seat lo koorchoni, aa seat lo ippatiki soul-slotted Parvathi ni gently displace chesi, nuvvu Parvathi slot ki voluntary-move ga go avvu, body ni bus lo leave chesi, aa body oka 'conductor-apprentice' ga next 20 years kaani without 20-years trap ga, just ee one trip lo driver seat ni handle cheyyadam. Bus oka saari Karimnagar Bus Stand cross chesi, malli oka loop lo velli raavachhu, during that loop, nuvvu driver ga, Parvathi passenger ga, ae amavasya lo 23 souls andhariki okkadu okkadu oka retirement route ki drop cheyyagalvu. Bus ni dissolve cheyyagalvu. Loop break. Inkaa bus ledhu. Andharu release, Parvathi, 23 mandhi, nenu, Future Kiran, nuvvu. Kaani aa dissolve cheyyadaaniki nuvvu ippudu bus aa loop ki ippati body sacrifice, kaani seat lo koorchunna tharvaata nuvvu physical body lo kadhu, consciousness-only state. Oka 3-4 hours like that. Tharvaata bus Karimnagar Bus Stand lo final dissolve, nuvvu physical body ki return. Oka physical damage undi, possible stroke or short-term memory loss, maybe both. But physical life chaganiki continue. Jeevinchav. Kaani chinappaati paata same, compromises continue cheyyaku. Karuna aalavatu cheyyi. Physically marupu kaladam, naa bus evidence nee memory lo. Maybe. Ledhanti."
Kiran rendu tickets ni Musalayana chethiki ichaadu. Atani chethulu shake avvatledhu. First time ippati raathri nunchi — chethulu steady.
Kiran: "Mama, nenu third option teesukuntaanu. Nenu driver seat lo koorchuntaanu. Bus dissolve chestha. Vaalanderu nenu release ayeyalsindi. Naa body nee kosthunnaanu short term, stroke, memory loss, kaani jeevinchav. Aa choice lo valid risks undi. Kaani nenu aa risk teesukuntaanu."
Musalayana tickets rendu wrap chesaadu oka paatha cloth lo, pocket lo pettaadu. Atanu conductor-cap thisesaadu — mukham ippudu clear ga kanipinchindi. 1968 Kiran — 28 years old, face lean, kallu tired but now glowing gently.
Musalayana: "Babu, nuvvu clear ga cheppaav. Genuine. Karuna cheyyadam enti ani teluseyaka, teliseyaka commit chesaavu. Third option sacrifice inchee, naa bus dissolved avthundhi, nenu free, andharu free. Parvathi aunty aame son ki chinna chance, nuvvu physical body lo recover aipothe, Prateek ki aa pink scarf kavita message deliver cheyyadaaniki. Adhi nuvvu manage chesthaav emo. Nenu naa bhagam chesaanu."
Kiran lechaaru. Bus inkaa velthundi, speed kadhili, kaani void ippatiki thick-thick ga undi.
Future Kiran kuda lechaaru. Atanu Kiran tho eduruku ninchundaaru.
[FUTURE KIRAN] "Nenu ippudu 'pootaani', I'm you but 20 years ahead, aa alternate timeline ippudu close aipothundhi. Naa consciousness dissolve aipothundhi nee lo. Nuvvu aa memory ni ikkada matram gurthu pettukovu, physical brain recovery period lo aa detail delete avuthundi. Kaani oka thing gurthu undi, aa feeling, aa weight, aa karuna-practice habit. Adhi nuvvu daily lo practice cheyyi. Ledhante 2044 lo inko Future Kiran ee same bus ki ekkuthundu. Adi karuna gap refill. Naa role nijam ga, nuvvu ki mirror ga ninchovadam. Ippudu nenu dissolve. Goodbye."
Future Kiran light ga kanipinchadam start aipoyindi — pixels la fading. Oka second, atanu ippatiki sorry ga smile tho ninchundaaru. Oka second, atanu ledhu. Just oka warm wash Kiran body lo.
12:40 AM. Karimnagar Bus Stand.
Bus jerk tho halt aindi. Window lo nunchi Kiran bayata choosaaru — real Karimnagar Bus Stand. Known details — aa paatha sign, 'Karimnagar Depot - TSRTC' old board lo, white paint with red letters. Oka tea stall Bharath Nilayam daggara — Kiran known that stall, 2019 lo atanu aa stall lo chai thaaganu oka saari Diwali nunchi ventha. Oka chinna stray kukka — broken ear, brown-white mix. Kiran ki familiar.
Door theresindi.
Musalayana: "Kiran babu, driver seat. Vellu. Koorcho. Bus ni oka final loop ki teesukelu, Karimnagar nuncchi Hyderabad waraku, malli Karimnagar. Aa loop muginchaka, bus dissolve. Nenu coordinate chesthaa. Nuvvu just koorcho, hand steering midha pettaali, aa steering automatic ga move avuthundi. Nuvvu physically body lo kadhu, nuvvu consciousness ga okaari role. Andhari release prathi saarey koordchinappudu-felt aipotundi. Nuvvu aa feeling ni nee memory lo note cheyyi, physical memory nuncchi delete aithe, emotional core-lo nilichipothundi. Aa core nuvvu ee karuna-habit lo fuel ga vaadukovaali."
Kiran door vaipu velli, chooshaadu — Future Kiran gone, Parvathi aunty oka peaceful smile tho, Satwik nod tho, Nishika oka chinna hand wave tho.
Nishika: "Anna, Sanjeevaiah Park bench 7, raati kinda. Gurthu petukovu."
Kiran: "Gurthu petaatthaa ammayi. Promise."
Kiran driver compartment vaipu stepped in. Seat empty ga undi — aa seat lo oka faint outline of a sitting woman (Parvathi's trapped form) was visible earlier. Ippudu — aa outline slowly ga migrate aipotundhi passenger area vaipu. Parvathi aunty seat lo physical ga koorchundhi. Driver seat ippudu Kiran kosam open.
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Aakari Bus — Part 4
Kiran koorchundhi. Seat cold. Steering wheel wet clay cold. Kiran chethulu steering midha pettaaru.
Bus malli start aindi. Karimnagar Bus Stand slow ga vennukki. NH-163 midha reverse direction lo — Karimnagar nunchi Hyderabad.
Musalayana: "Ee loop lo 23 mandhi andhariki atmosphere inki acceptance condition undi, nuvvu aa acknowledgment akkasaari final ga ivvali. Drive slowly. Prathi kilometer, oka passenger release. Bus dim ga empty avuthundi. Prathi release ki nuvvu oka specific internal maata cheppali, 'Nenu ninnu gurthu pettukuntaa'. Aa maata souls ki final seal."
Kiran drive chesaaru. Steering tho atani weight ledhu kaani movement undi — atani consciousness tho rode. Kilometer marker 1 — oka passenger warm light ga dissolve ayyindi. Kiran internally cheppaaru — 'Nenu ninnu gurthu pettukuntaa.' Kilometer 2 — inko passenger. Kiran repeated. Kilometer 3, 4, 5...
23 kilometers tharvaata, bus empty aipoyindi. Only Parvathi aunty left — aame passenger compartment lo ninchundi.
Parvathi: "Babu, Prateek ki cheppu, aa pink scarf kavita, aa Diwali raathri 1985 lo atanu cheppinadhi, aa lines, 'Amma, nuvvu nee scarf lo Diwali light pattukuntav. Nenu aa light chustha nuvvu velina daram lo.' Adhi atanu kavita. Aa line nenu 37 years repeat chesaanu mind lo. Ippudu atani mind ki ivvu."
Kiran repeated aa line internally, then vocalized:
Kiran: "'Amma, nuvvu nee scarf lo Diwali light pattukuntav. Nenu aa light chustha nuvvu velina daram lo.' Gurthu pettukuntaa. Prateek ki cheptha."
Parvathi aunty smile. Aame body light ga dissolve aipoyindi — bus lo warm golden glow la. Aame release chesindhi.
Driver compartment ippudu Kiran maathrame. Musalayana kuda visible ga ledhu — atani voice matrame consciousness lo.
Musalayana: "Babu, ippudu bus U-turn teesukuni Karimnagar Bus Stand ki return aipothundi. Dissolve point akkada. Aa dissolve lo nuvvu physical body ki return. Aa moment lo oka trans-second blackness. Tharvaata nuvvu ippati depot ticket counter mundu kanipisthav. 12:45 AM approximately. Body slightly weak. Memory of specifics, gradually fade. Aa emotional core matram nilichipothundi. Ippudu naaku thanks ani cheppaku, nenu ki thanks ivvabadindi nee choice ni. Adhi sufficient. Goodbye, babu. Naa bride ki cheptha, 56 years lo finally vachchanu ani."
Bus U-turn teesukundi. Karimnagar Bus Stand wait chesthundi — oka dim neon sign, aa stray kukka, aa closed tea stall.
Bus bus stand daggara halt aindi.
Kiran consciousness lo oka white flash. Blackness.
Depot ticket counter daggara, 12:45 AM.
Kiran kallu thericchaadu. Atanu oka bench midha padipoyi unnaaru — aa counter aunty gurthu pattukoni, water bottle pattukuni vaccchinadhi. Auto driver oka vaccindu akkada — Basha ani peru ani aunty cheppaaru. "Ee abbayi fainting aipoyaadu — sugar level drop emo. Nenu 108 ki call chesaa."
Kiran slow ga ledi. Chethulo oka paatha RTC ticket — usual format, Karimnagar-Hyderabad, dated 28/06/2024. Seat number 15. Price 280. No ∞ stamp. Normal ticket.
Phone pocket lo. Phone time 12:45 AM.
Atanu brain scan chesaaru — MGBS nuncchi intiki ela vacchaaru? Memory fuzzy. Atanu counter aunty ki cheppaaru — "Aunty, Karimnagar ki normal Garuda bus ekki vacchaanu... kaani gurthu ledhu. Head slightly confused."
Counter aunty — face Kiran gurthu pattukoledhu aa aunty ni — cheppindhi, "Babu, 9 PM bus mee ki book chesaaru night. 12:15 ki vacchaaru. Depot lo dig-inappudu nuvvu station lo fall aipoyaaru. Naku sugar drop symptoms la kanipinchaayi. Inka 10 minutes lo 108 ambulance vasthundi, precaution ga. Lekapothe family ki cheppaalani call chesaanu."
Kiran nod chesaadu. Aa aunty bottled water bottle ichhindi. Atanu thaagaadu. Cold. Just regular cold.
Atani mind lo oka line slightly clear — 'Amma, nuvvu nee scarf lo Diwali light pattukuntav. Nenu aa light chustha nuvvu velina daram lo.' Aa line enduku gurthu vasthundi, Kiran ki confused. Atanu aa line ni phone notes lo type chesaaru. Title: Prateek, NIMS cardiology, pink scarf, Parvathi aunty.
Inkaa konni notes automatically type ayinayi — Jammikunta 2019 train seat, Sanjeevaiah Park bench 7 raati kinda bag, Nizamabad 2004 truck driver Shivashakti Carriers, Bhaskar Rao Karimnagar Treasury lanche. Prathi detail atani thumb automatic type chesaaru. Atanu chooshaaru — aa notes atanu ki connect-avvaledhu fully, kaani atani hand accept chesindi aa work ni. Atanu save chesaaru.
Dawn. 4:30 AM. Karimnagar depot bench.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Garuda Madhyarathri
Ambulance vacchi, atani ki vitals check chesindi — normal. BP slightly low. Sugar normal. Atanu discharged. Auto driver Basha atani ki intiki tisukellaaru. Atanu intlo Amma atani vaipu chusindhi — atani mukham tired kaani healthy ga undi. Amma atanu ki coffee ichhindhi, enti ayindhi anni adigindi. Atanu story cheppaledhu, only fact — ticket late, fainting aipoyaanu, all fine.
Atanu Monday Hyderabad ki return ayinappudu — first pani Prateek Dr. Prateek, NIMS cardiology ni find cheyyadam. Atanu find chesaaru — LinkedIn search lo. Atanu ki email cheppaaru, appointment teesukunaru — "Oka vishayam gurinchi personal ga matlaadaali, mee Amma gurinchi.' Dr. Prateek surprise ga reply chesaaru, Saturday morning lo meet chesaaru. Kiran aa pink scarf detail, aa Diwali 1985 kavita, aa 37 years wait — full ga cheppaaru. Dr. Prateek kallu lo tears. Atanu aa scarf — 38 years ga atani cupboard lo — teesaaru. Physical pink scarf. Atanu aa kavita atani childhood lo rasaadu — nijam.
Dr. Prateek Kiran ni hug chesaaru. "Brother, ae detail mee ki ela telusu? Nenu ee kavita ni privatize chesaanu, family lo kuda share cheyyaledhu. Meeru em chesaaru?"
Kiran cheppaledhu. Atanu ki memory clear ga ledhu. Atanu matram oka sentence ichhaaru: "Oka rotal lo vishayam telisindhi. Meeru take-it-literal ga accept cheyyandi. Mee Amma ippudu peaceful, ippudu free."
Dr. Prateek accept chesaaru. Atani mukham midha 37 years weight drop ayyindi.
2024 December. Siix months tharvaata.
Kiran Hyderabad lo continue chesthaaru work. Kaani habits marinayi. Prathi Monday MGBS velli oka water bottle distribution chesthaaru platform 14 daggara homeless people ki. Jyothi ki contact chesaaru, Bhaskar Rao investigation case open ayyindi — Warangal Sundaram nuncchi proof, Deccan Chronicle lo article vachindhi, Bhaskar Rao arrest aipoyaaru. Ramesh taatha free. Nenu Yeshwanth ki Rithvik thru Malkangiri lo aa message deliver chesaanu — atani wife peaceful ga passed away 2024 October lo, atani brother Kiran ki cheppaaru, "Adi unexpected ga happen aindi, kaani aame mukham lo oka smile tho decease ayindi."
Sanjana ki message icchaaru Kiran — 'yes, engagement ring. Naaku time kaadhu. Nenu nuvvu ni married ga aakangshinchhaanu.' Aame agreed.
Amma ki prathi Wednesday call. Dad ki prathi Sunday. Office lo colleagues matter. Null pointer bugs double-check.
Prathi amavasya raathri, Kiran ki oka chinna sensation — bus hum, brass bell faint. Adhi na memory vasthundo, laedha atanu kuda marevari ki bus ekkindhi ani know chesthunnaaru. Atanu slight lo worried — kaani emotional core lo peace undi. Bus naaku malli raavadu — atanu confident. Emmotional core lo aa line — 'Amma, nuvvu nee scarf lo Diwali light pattukuntav.'
Real-world context: Wikipedia — TSRTC
Atani life ippudu oka seat mundu — Karimnagar Bus Stand la oka door. Inside tadika, outside tadika. Atanu decide chesina action oka choice. Aa choice atani next pattern ni set chesthundi. Prathi pratishta oka next pratishta. Atani future — atani chethilo. Inkaa next Kiran ki — maybe aa next Kiran ni bus ki raavalsina avakasham ledhu. Atanu next Kiran mundu bench midha koorchoni water bottle ivvaali ammai ki, taataayanaki, Sanjeevaiah Park bench 7 mundu — ade pratishta pattern.
Oka door mundu ninchunnaaru atanu. Inside adi Choice-karuna, outside adi Compromise-loop. Atanu step teesukunnaaru — door aa direction velli, or gaalipothuni.
Kiran chethi thogadu ticket counter daggara — oka bench. Koorchundhi. Bench number 7. Raati kinda bag kosam kaakunda, oka young ammai kosam bench ni free-ga unchaaru — oka chinna ammai tho amma, vaaridi Karimnagar bus kosam wait. Kiran lechi aa aunty ki seat ichhaaru. Atanu ninchundaaru.
Aa ammai Kiran ni chusindi. Aame kallu lo familiar expression — chinna thank you. Kiran smile tho nod chesaaru.
Bus vacchindi. Regular Garuda. Passengers load ayyaaru. Aa aunty aunty ammai ekkaaru. Aame window nunchi hand wave chesindhi — thank you. Kiran hand wave chesaaru. Bus velli poyindhi.
Kiran bench midha koorchundhi, oka deep breath thisukunnaaru. Sky dawn thisthundi — orange-purple. Oka stray kukka atani kallaki vacchindhi — broken ear, brown-white. Kiran aa kukka head midha hand tho chaithra ivvabadindhi.
Kiran: "Gurthu pettukuntaa, mitra."
Ee katha ippudu inkaa muginchindo, ledha inkaa start aipoyindho — Kiran ki telusu, lekha reader ki teliyadu. Bus dissolve ayipoyindho, ledha bus ippatiki void lo hum chesthu unda — adi nuvvu decide cheyyandi. Kiran chethulo choice undhi. Nuvvu chethulo? Adhi nuvvu ki prashna. Part 1 nuncchi Part 5 waraku — okka chinna thought matram: kuna nuvvu ki chupinchina pratishta, nee mundu pratishta ni set chesthundhi. Next month amavasya — oka saari check cheyyandi, mee phone lo '∞' notification vacchindho. Okati telusu — bus still runs somewhere. Thanks for reading. Ee story mee friends ki share cheyyandi.
Author's note
Ee Aakari Bus series — Part 1 nunchi Part 5 waraku — nenu August 2023 nunchi write chesthunnaaru. Oka real incident naa chinapudu inspired chesindi — Karimnagar Bus Stand lo 2015 lo oka taatha ni nenu chooshaanu. Atanu okkadi kuda chudaleka poyina state lo bench midha koorchuni unnaaru — physical discomfort, slight fever. Nenu cab book chesaanu, easy-easy ga velli poyaanu. Atanu OK ani assumptions chesukuni. Rendu months tharvaata oka colleague cheppaadu aa taatha Karimnagar lo ne chanipoyaadani — bus stand daggara, fever untreated.
Aa regret naa lo gurthu undedi. Ee story — metaphor ga — aa regret ni process cheyyadaaniki rasaanu. Kiran character atani regrets ni sort chesthundi bus lo — real life lo nenu aa sorting ni slow ga chesthunnaaru. Part 5 end lo door image — adhi nakshatram. Prati roju mana choice oka door. Satyam brūyāt priyam brūyāt — truth kindly — adhi pratishta ni set chesthundi.
Thank you readers. Batch 9 lo inka rendu more — standalone bus horror stories. Comments lo mee favourite part cheppandi. Ee series audio YouTube lo vasthundi aa roju.
— 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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