RTC Driver Number 7
RTC Operator Number 7
Setting: TSRTC depot, Miyapur (Hyderabad / Telangana).
In English: RTC Operator Number 7. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
RTC Operator Number 7
2025 December 18, Hyderabad — Press release, TSRTC corporate communications:
"TSRTC announces the discontinuation of Driver Identification Pin #7 across all routes, depots, and rostering systems with immediate effect. Pin #7 will be permanently sealed from auto-assignment. This decision follows a comprehensive internal review conducted October-November 2025 by an external consulting firm. Pin numbers from #1-6 and #8 onwards remain in active use. The corporation thanks the families of three drivers — Mr. Sumanth Reddy, Mr. Vihaan Pratap, and Mr. Yeshwanth Goud — and offers condolences for their unexpected passing during 2023-2025. The corporation has rolled out enhanced driver wellness, vehicle safety, and rostering audit programs."
2025 November 22 — Internal report excerpt, External Consulting Firm:
Three driver fatalities in 30 months, all assigned Pin #7 at time of death. Statistical probability of pattern: less than 1 in 50,000. Recommendation: pin retirement, system flag, internal investigation into legacy roster data 1999-2009.
2025 November 5 — Yeshwanth Goud, age 41, Miyapur depot.
Atanu daughter ki birthday gift kosam evening shift muginchaka, malli atanu off-duty ga oka second shift teesukunnaaru — extra income kosam — Khammam-Hyderabad night run, 11:45 PM departure. Atanu schedule lo officially Pin #7 ga roster aindhi. Atanu intlo aa pin gurincha tension ledhu — atanu thought pin numbers irrelevant. Atanu enthusiastic ga drove. 2:30 AM Suryapet outskirts — bus oka stationary truck ki rear-end collision. Truck reflectors off (truck driver later revealed: tampered for fuel-theft scheme). Yeshwanth instant. 14 passengers injured, no other fatalities. Atani body Khammam ki sent for funeral. Atanu daughter Bhavya — 8 years — got the gift posthumously.
Hamsa, Miyapur depot scheduler, ee fatality ki second cousin uncle wedding dressing lo unnaaru. Aame phone call vacchindhi 4 AM. Aame freeze. "Pin 7 again."
2025 March 14 — Vihaan Pratap, age 38, Karimnagar depot.
Atanu Hyderabad-Warangal route lo regular driver. Pin #7 atanu ki December 2024 lo digital rostering update aithe random ga assign aindhi. Atanu ki initially gurincha undeled, kaani senior conductor cheppaaru — "Vihaan sir, aa pin paatha pin. 2009 lo retire ayyaaru — naaku gurincha. Mee meeting lo flag cheyyamani recommend chestha." Vihaan dismiss chesaaru — "Bhayya, pin pin matrame. Number ga dasha ga teesukoddu."
Atanu atani trip 2025 March 14, NH-163, Gajwel daggara — engine fire. Bus chinna villes-area lo aagi, passengers digi, atanu engine bay open chesi fire extinguisher try — explosion. Atanu deceased. Family Karimnagar lo. Atanu wife Hamsa — same Miyapur scheduler — naa cousin. Aa connection naaku close. Aame collapse lo undi 6 months. Aame inkaa aa depot ki return ayyaaru, kaani aame voice slightly fragile. Aame ki Pin #7 anedhi obsession ga ayinadhi.
2024 August 8 — Sumanth Reddy, age 44, Secunderabad depot.
Atanu Hyderabad-Vijayawada Garuda sleeper driver. Pin #7 atanu ki 2024 February lo new digital rostering rollout time lo assigned. Atanu pin gurincha undeled. Atanu August 8 raathri, NH-65 midha, Suryapet ki nearby — bus tyre blow-out. Atanu vehicle ni control cheyyadaaniki try chesaaru, kaani off-road ki velli, oka tree ki rammed. Atanu deceased. Passengers — 32 mandhi — minor injuries.
Aa fatality post-mortem lo, Hamsa 2025 January nunchi Pin #7 pattern ni notice cheyyadaaniki start chesaaru. Aame depot manager ki cheppaaru. Manager dismissed — "Coincidence." Aame insisted — "Sir, aa pin 2009 lo retire ayindi enduku, atanu enquire cheyyali." Manager file pulled.
2009 October 15 — Pin #7's original owner, Driver Murali Mohan, age 49, Hyderabad-Warangal route.
Bus 11:45 PM Hyderabad MGBS departure. Murali Mohan driver. Conductor Ankaiah (same Ankaiah from Manogna's earlier story — depot conductor old-timer). Bus 2 AM Gundlapochampally daggara — fatal accident. Bus oka passing-truck head-on. Murali Mohan deceased on spot. 11 passengers deceased. 14 injured.
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Khammam-Hyd Raathri Bus
Investigation aftermath:
- Driver fault: speeding (95 kmph in 70 zone), distracted driving, possible mobile phone use.
- Truck fault: lane discipline violation.
- Both vehicles at fault.
- Murali Mohan posthumous censure: "rash driving, ignored protocol".
Atani family 6 lakhs compensation received. Pin #7 retired from Hyderabad routes — depot manager directive 2009 October 22.
Kaani — 2009 lo digital systems weren't fully consolidated. Pin retirement happened in Hyderabad-Warangal route specifically. Other depots — Miyapur, Secunderabad, Karimnagar — pin #7 still in their respective rosters. Different drivers, different routes, no immediate pattern.
2014 lo TSRTC unified digital rostering pilot started. 2018 lo full rollout. Pin #7 system-wide auto-assignable ga maintained. Aa retirement directive 2009 lo route-specific ga undi, system-wide ga oka reset cheyyaledhu. Database lo aa pin "active" ga continue.
2024 February 2025 February ki new digital rostering update — auto-assignment of pins randomized to optimize driver workload. Pin #7 oka kotha frequency lo getting auto-assigned to drivers. Sumanth Reddy (Aug 2024), Vihaan Pratap (March 2025), Yeshwanth Goud (Nov 2025).
Hamsa connect chesindhi.
2025 October 22 — Hamsa investigation document.
Aame older drivers ni interviewed — Murali Mohan tho 1990s lo work chesina vaaru. Conductor Ankaiah retire ayyaaru 2018, Warangal lo intlo. Aame phone call chesindhi atanu ki.
Ankaiah: "Madam, naaku gurthu aa Murali Mohan. Atanu chaala straightforward driver kaadhu, atanu prathi small things lo cut-corners chesedi. Logbook lo signature forge cheyyadam, fuel-receipts lo over-claim cheyyadam, ticket sales lo skim chesthadu, small amounts kaani regular. Mee depot lo atanu ki investigation 2007 lo open aindhi, but evidence inadequate, atanu cleared. Atanu speed lo too, atanu schedule lo behind padithe, speed peruga chesi compensate chesthadu. Atanu reputation 'fast driver' ga undi, kaani we knew internally, atanu safety ni atani convenience ki trade chesthadu. Aa October 15 night, atanu ki schedule pressure undi, atanu Sunday family function ki morning lo cherukovaali, so atanu aa Saturday night fast ga drive chesaaru. Phone use kuda, atanu wife ki updates pampisthuna untaayi. Aa accident in many ways predictable."
Hamsa: "Atanu post-mortem lo cited ga undi, 'rash driving' ani."
Ankaiah: "Yes. Kaani official censure soft ga ne unde, atanu family ki compensation reach avvadaaniki, depot atanu ni 'partially at fault' ga frame chesaaru, full negligence ga kaadhu. Aa shading, adi naaku akkada uncomfortable feel ayinadhi. Adi straightforward ga true reporting kaadhu. Atani family compensation kosam, atani memory kosam, depot management aa case ni soft chesaaru."
Hamsa: "Atanu ghost ga ee pattern enduku continue chesthunnaaru?"
Ankaiah: "Madam, naa speculation matrame, Murali Mohan straightforward investigation deserve chesaaru, atanu mistakes documented honest ga cheyyali, family ki kuda truth cheppali. Atani family ki compensation paid kaani full truth ledhu, atani wife ippudu kuda nammuthundi atanu hero la chanipoyaaru, kaani actually atanu reckless tho deceased aipoyaaru. Aa truth gap atanu ki settle avvadaaniki ledhu. Atani pin #7, system lo continue avtu, atanu ki opening, atanu aa pin ki assigned drivers ki same fate teesthunnaaru, mirror la, atanu ki same kind of recklessness, same kind of evidence-fudging, same kind of cut-corners. Sumanth Reddy, atanu logbook signature forge chesedi, atanu colleagues confirmed. Vihaan Pratap, atanu fuel receipts over-claim chesedi, depot accountant noticed. Yeshwanth Goud, atanu ticket skim chesedi, conductor noticed but didn't report. Three drivers, three different versions of the same flaw, three same fate. Atanu mirror, atanu ki ne mirror, atanu ki release ravadaaniki, atani own truth surface avvali."
2025 November 18 — Hamsa final action.
Aame Murali Mohan family ni traced — wife in Karimnagar, two adult children. Aame full investigation report tho velli, including Ankaiah testimony, post-mortem details, internal censure documents — honestly presented. Aame Murali Mohan widow ki cheppindhi — "Aunty, mee bharta clean ga atani job lo undalaedu. Atanu small things lo skim chesedi. Atanu reckless ga drive chesedi. Atani fault aa accident lo significant. Compensation depot ki gift ga aame chesaaru, kaani truth atanu chusukoledhu. Ippudu, atanu ki release rakaani — truth aa family ki acknowledge avvali."
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Secunderabad Platform 10
Widow first shocked. Tharvaata cried. Aame children tho discuss chesaaru. Aame depot manager ki letter wrote — accept chesindhi atani fault ni, agreed compensation already used, asked for atani memory ki temple lo a small ritual — pravachakulu atanu sins ni acknowledge cheyyadaaniki. Karimnagar Rajarajeshwara temple lo aa ritual aame organized — November 24, 2025. Pujari atanu lopalu aa aatma ki eduruga acknowledge chesaaru, family forgive ichhindhi, prayer release.
Hamsa attended. Aame husband Vihaan Pratap photo kuda tho — Vihaan pin#7 fatality. Aame two souls tho ne acknowledge cheppaaru — "Murali Mohan, naa husband ki nuvvu link aithav, naaku free cheyyali ee link. Naaku husband, nuvvu ki release. Pin #7 — adhi system lo release avuthundi. Adi nee responsibility ledhu inka."
2025 December 18 — Press release.
Pin #7 sealed. No further auto-assignments. Aa pin database lo "permanently retired - per family acknowledgment ritual" flag ga marked. Hamsa aa flag ni technical team tho coordinate chesindhi — same flag mechanism as Manogna 2024 lo Manikyamma seat 36 unsealed (you remember story 87) — but in reverse, this time TO seal a pin permanently.
2026 January nunchi Pin #7 inactive. No fatalities reported in 2026 across TSRTC fleet.
2026 March — Internal newsletter article, TSRTC employee magazine:
"Lessons from the Pin #7 case: Driver wellness, system data integrity, and family-employer transparency form a triangle of safety. Driver pin retirements should not be route-specific — they must be system-wide upon any fatality investigation reaching specific findings. Driver mistakes, when documented honestly to family, allow closure for the deceased and prevent pattern repetition. Straightforward reporting in driver post-mortems — even when uncomfortable for the family — is, paradoxically, the kindest path. — Hamsa, Miyapur Depot."
Real-world context: Wikipedia — TSRTC
Aame Hamsa atani husband Vihaan ki, atani Bhavya ki — Yeshwanth Goud daughter — atani ki monthly visit chesthundi. Aame inkaa Murali Mohan widow ki Diwali pampisthundi. Aame chinnathanam ga atanu pattern-loop ni broke chesaaru — okka straightforward truth, oka honest acknowledgment, oka priority ka conventional politeness above honesty.
Author's note
Ee story future-dated speculative ga ayinappudu, core kernel real ga undi. Naa cousin Hamsa real life lo TSRTC depot lo scheduler ga pani chesthundi. Aame husband real life lo TSRTC driver kaadu — atanu ki different career, atanu safe ga undi. Kaani depot lo aame mention chesindhi — driver pin numbers lo legacy retirements 1990s nunchi continue ayyaaru, aa retirements always route-specific aithe, system-wide ga reset cheyyaru. Adhi vulnerability ani aame cheppindhi.
2009 lo Hyderabad-Warangal route lo oka real ga fatal accident aindi — accidents records lo confirmable, kaani specific personal details fictional. Pin #7 fictional construct.
Straightforwardness anedhi — uncomfortable truths ni family ki, friends ki, colleagues ki cheppadam — kindness ki opposite kaadhu. Adi kindness ni higher form. Naaku ee insight Hamsa journey nuncchi vacchindhi — fictional ga.
Mee lo bus accidents, depot stories, ghost driver stories untey comments lo cheppandi. Batch 9 muginchindhi — Aakari Bus 5 parts plus 5 standalones. Mee patience kosam thanks. Audio versions YouTube channel lo Lighted Tales lo monthly upload avtaayi.
— 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
Comments
Post a Comment