Kacheguda Sleeper 72
Kacheguda Sleeper 72
Setting: Hyderabad-Bangalore line (Hyderabad / Telangana).
In English: Kacheguda Sleeper 72. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
Kacheguda Sleeper 72
Indian Railways internal reservation system — backend log dump, July 2024, recovered through unofficial leak to a railway-news Telegram channel:
Coach S5, berth 72, Train 16591 (Hyderabad-Mysuru Express, originating Kacheguda Junction). Booking flag: SOFT-LOCK status active since 2009. System auto-closes booking attempts on this berth 4-6% of times during monsoon months (June-September). Reason field: blank, escalated 2014, escalated 2019, no resolution, current status maintained. IRCTC backend developers note: anomaly intermittent, not reproducible in test environment, deferred indefinitely.
WhatsApp group — Telangana Heritage Railway Enthusiasts, 2024 August 14, 11:23 PM message from member 'Pavan Bandari':
Friends, naa cousin yesterday Kacheguda nunchi Mysuru travel chesaaru, S5 berth 72 atanu booking. Atanu boarding lo confused ayyaaru — berth midha already linen made, oka pillow shape someone slept on, recently. Atanu TTE ki adigaaru, atanu cheppaaru — 'Sir, mee ki ee saari naaku check cheyyali, kaani aa berth gurinchi naaku konni gurthu undi.' Tharvaata atanu cheppaaru — 'Sir, please don't disturb the linen. Mee ki extra blanket istha. Mee night kosam aa berth lo paddhukondi, kaani center mark touch cheyyaboku.' Naa cousin freaked out. Em jaragu ee berth lo? Konnetlu ardham?
Newspaper clipping reconstructed — Telangana Today, 2007 October 8 issue, page 4 inside-news:
KACHEGUDA: Train 16591 Hyderabad-Mysuru Express coach S5 fire incident contained, no major injuries. Train was stationary at Kacheguda Junction. Source of fire — initial report electrical short in coach S5 berth 72 area. Passengers evacuated. One passenger Mr. Hrishikesh Rao age 34 reported missing, body not yet recovered. Investigation ongoing.
Hrishikesh Rao 2007 lo Hyderabad lo IT engineer, atanu Bangalore ki transfer ayyaaru — Mysuru route via Kacheguda Express. Atanu ki tickets prathi 2 weeks ki — wife & 5 year old daughter ni Bangalore ki shift cheyyaali plan ee, kaani temporary ga atanu commute. Atanu sleeper class budget option — AC 3-tier expensive ga.
Atanu 2007 October 7 raathri Kacheguda nunchi 6:55 PM ki ekkaaru. S5 berth 72 — middle berth, regular preferred. Atanu lopaliki settle ayyaaru, dinner kosam pantry order — biryani parcel. Atanu phone lo wife ki cheppaaru, "Madam, ee weekend Bangalore lo flat finalize chesthaa. Maa amma & papa ki call cheyyandi morning."
Train Kacheguda lo aa raathri unsually delayed — signal issues. Atanu ekki kuda 9 PM waraku station lo aagi ee. Atanu paddhukunaaru. Aa late kaadu, train start avvali kaani aa S5 lo electrical issue manifested — wiring overheat aa berth 72 daggara. Atanu nidra lo, fire start aindi sub-bunk insulation lo, smoke spread.
Passengers panicked, evacuated. Train staff fire extinguish chesaaru 8 minutes lo. Damage limited — S5 berth 72 nuncchi 75 area burnt, mattresses charred, panel scorched. Hrishikesh — atanu nidra lo, atanu kanipinchaledhu post-evacuation count lo.
Officially atanu missing. Body kanipinchaledhu — fire intensity aa range lo body fully consume cheyyaledhu kaani officials cheppaaru "Possibly walked away in confusion, amnesia." Atanu wife & family Hyderabad lo phone calls chesaaru, atanu phone ka response. Atanu colleagues Bangalore lo atanu ki phone, no answer. Atanu missing FIR file — Kacheguda police, case number 2007/4892.
Inko detail — fire investigation lo, official record lo aa fire incident "minor electrical event" ga categorized. Insurance kuda processed minimum compensation. Aa coach S5 repaired, berth 72 paint, mattress replace, atanu return ayinaaru service ki within 2 weeks. Atanu fire incident officially reduced to a footnote.
Kaani backend system lo — IRCTC reservation backend lo — aa berth 72 ki anomaly start aindi 2009 lo. Booking attempts random ga fail avvadam, system error message blank, manual override required. Some bookings successful avvadam, some block. Pattern monsoon months lo intensify aindi.
2024 August 14 — Sai Kiran's friend Prabhakar (referenced in the WhatsApp group quoted above), age 34, ee story tho central character:
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Nampally Waiting Hall Bench
Prabhakar Hyderabad lo software engineer, atanu Mysuru ki business trip — Mysuru lo client meeting. Atanu Train 16591 ki book chesaaru — S5 berth 72, IRCTC system lo aa berth available ani show aindi atanu booking moment lo. Atanu ekkaaru 6:55 PM Kacheguda nunchi.
Atanu coach lopaliki, S5 berth 72 dheggara cherukunaaru. Lower berth ki access, kaani middle berth atanu — atanu ekki up cheyyali boarding tharvaata. Atanu lower berth lo unna passenger ki greet chesaaru — oka aged uncle, atanu ki polite ga reply.
Atanu middle berth ki ekkaaru. Linen — aa berth ki oka linen kit Indian Railways issue, sealed plastic. Kaani atanu chusina state — linen already made. Bedsheet spread, blanket folded foot end, pillow head end. Pillow midha — oka clear indentation, recently slept-on shape, atanu ki gurthu — pillow surface lo skull contour visible.
Atanu confused. Atanu TTE bell pressed. TTE Lakshmaiah (same TTE from earlier story Godavari Express, transferred to this route 2023 lo) vacchaaru.
Prabhakar: "Sir, naa berth 72, middle. Linen already made, pillow midha indentation. Naa ki teliyadhu, previous passenger? IRCTC linen procedure lo nenu first user."
Lakshmaiah atanu ki kallu chusaaru. Atanu pause chesaaru long ga, tharvaata cheppaaru,
Lakshmaiah: "Sir, ee berth ki naaku konni gurthu undi. Mee ki ee saari naaku check cheyyali, kaani aa linen, aa berth midha eppudu fresh ga supplied. Ippudu kuda fresh ga supplied. Linen made anede different reason. Sir, please don't disturb the linen. Mee ki extra blanket isthaa, mee fresh kit isthaa. Mee night kosam aa berth lo paddhukondi, kaani center mark, pillow indentation, touch cheyyaboku. Mee request as a TTE."
Prabhakar oka long second confused. Atanu ki ardham kaadhu, kaani atanu Lakshmaiah voice tone listen — calm, serious, ekkuva year experience tho. Atanu nodded.
Prabhakar: "Sir, em explanation? Aa indentation evvaru?"
Lakshmaiah atanu pakka berth side lo koorchunaaru, atanu voice low chesaaru.
Lakshmaiah: "Sir, 2007 lo aa berth lo oka passenger fire incident lo missing ayyaaru. Officially atanu walked away, body recovered ledhu. Un-officially, ee depot crew daggara teliyali, atanu aa berth lo sleeping ga charred, body fragments cleared cheyyaledhu fully, aa berth area sanitized but small remnants persist. Maa cleaning protocols standard, kaani aa berth ki specifically, aa atma return aithundi. Atanu nidra lo died, atanu nidra inkaa unfinished. Atanu prathi monsoon raathri aa berth ki ekkutharu, sleep posture lo, kaani aa same posture sleep complete cheyyaledhu, atanu ki release ledhu. Linen indentation atanu form. Memu fresh linen supply chesthamu, kaani aa indentation re-form aithundi. Aa centre mark, atanu atma. Sir, mee ki disturb cheyyaboku. Mee night peace lo padukondi side lo, atanu space respect cheyyandi."
Prabhakar shock ayyaaru. Atanu logical mind argue, kaani atanu evidence — pillow indentation — undi atanu eyes mundhu. Atanu Lakshmaiah ki nodded.
Prabhakar: "Sir, atanu name?"
Lakshmaiah: "Hrishikesh Rao. Atanu wife inkaa Hyderabad lo, age 50 ippudu, aame remarry cheyyaledhu, aame daughter Vaishali (now adult) Hyderabad lo bank lo employee. Aa family ki 17 years closure ledhu, body recovery ledhu, missing FIR active ga. Sir, mee ki aa family contact, mee blog dwara, naaku gurthu mee Lighted Tales blog, mee dwara aa family ki connect kavadam, vaaru aa wife ki ee story share, vaaru ki shanti homa cheyyali aa berth ki specifically, vaaru ki release. Memu Indian Railways ga official ga ee admit cheyyalemu, kaani memu witness."
Prabhakar aa raathri pure body aa berth lo sleep cheyyaledhu. Atanu side lo, knees thodala dheggara curl, body chinna ga occupy chesi, center indentation untouched. Atanu phone lo time check — 11:30 PM, train Yadgir cross. Atanu nidra ki try chesaaru, kaani atanu ki light feeling ga atanu pakkana — pillow indentation — aa space lo, oka warmth, slight pressure feel, like someone lying there.
Atanu kallu open ga, kaani atanu disturb cheyyaledhu. Atanu silent ga whispered, "Hrishikesh anna, mee space respect cheyyithaanu. Mee ki shanti." Aa space lo warmth softened, atanu nidra ki settled.
Train Mysuru ki morning 6:30 AM ki cherukundi. Prabhakar lechi, blanket fold chesaaru, pillow indentation untouched ga vadileyyaru. Atanu Lakshmaiah ki goodbye, atanu thank cheppaaru.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Shalimar Express Berth 47
Hyderabad return tharvaata Prabhakar Sai Kiran (naaku) ki phone chesaaru — atanu ee story share chesaaru, naaku detail ga. Atanu ki request — "Sai, mee blog lo ee story write cheyyandi. Hrishikesh family ki kuda send chesthaaru, aame phone naaku Lakshmaiah TTE dwara reach, Vaishali Rao, atanu daughter, aame agreed contact for closure."
Vaishali Rao naaku phone chesindi. Aame oka small puja organize chesindi maa amma cousin pujari Bhagavatulu garu tho — Hrishikesh atma ki shanti homa. Vaaru aa berth ki aa specific number — coach S5, berth 72 — naa visualization lo include chesaaru. Aa homa muginchi tharvaata oka month — IRCTC backend log lo aa berth booking anomaly — resolved status ga update aindi. Bookings normal ga proceed avuthayi.
Lakshmaiah TTE atanu naaku confirm chesaaru — ee post-monsoon round trip lo aa berth meeda linen indentation re-form ka kaaledhu. Hrishikesh release. Aame Vaishali ki closure.
Pavitrata — purity — anede physical hygiene matter kaadhu. Atmas cleanliness kuda — vaaru release pure ga aithe, mana spaces kuda pure ga. Plot lo ee dramatized.
Vaishali Rao tharvaata maa amma's cousin Bhagavatulu garu tho oka second small follow-up homa chesindi — aame father atma ki annual remembrance, December 7 ki — atanu accident anniversary date. Aame ee ritual prathi year continue cheyyaali ani decided. Aame husband supportive, aame mother (now 50) aa homa attend chesindi — aame 17 years ee weight pattukoni, aame ki ee saari peace. Aame Hyderabad lo bank job nunchi okka leave teesi Bangalore ki travelled — aame husband aa city lo IT. Aame father atma aa direction lo shifted ga feel — atanu aa journey complete, late ga but complete.
Author's note
Kacheguda Junction naa Hyderabad life lo regular hub. Aa station heritage architecture beautiful — colonial-era arches, red-brick facades, broad platforms. 2007 lo oka real ga sleeper coach minor fire incident jarigindhi (specifics differ from this story's fictional version). Aa news naaku appudu college lo, naaku gurthu.
Real-world context: Wikipedia — TSRTC
IRCTC backend booking anomalies — monsoon-month coincidence, specific berths — anede tech-community lo gossip ga vinipinchindi. Real ga ee leak ledhu, kaani inspiration similar IRCTC quirks naaku. Berth-level superstition Indian Railways crew lo widespread — vaaru aa specific berths gurinchi cheppukuntaaru chai breaks lo.
Pavitrata — purity — anede traditional ga snanam, ritual cleansing. Kaani extended meaning — atmas spaces ki kuda. Mana houses lo, work places lo, train berths lo — atmas accumulated weight kuda atanu pure ga aithe, mana hum spaces ki kuda peace.
Comments lo cheppandi mee ki Kacheguda lo experiences. Audio version YouTube lo upcoming.
— 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