Saidabad Cantonment
Old Saidabad Cantonment
Setting: Saidabad old cantonment (Hyderabad / Telangana).
In English: Old Saidabad Cantonment. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
Old Saidabad Cantonment
2024 Republic Day weekend Hyderabad lo Bonalu off-season, kaani Saidabad area lo oka small public function jarigindhi — ROTC cadets cum NCC unit annual heritage trek. Naa colleague Pavan Krishna naaku aa weekend tarwatha office canteen lo coffee tho ee story share chesaadu, atanu younger brother Rohit Krishna NCC cadet ga that trek lo participated. Naaku ee story atanu permission tho dramatize chesaa, atanu names changed.
Saidabad area Hyderabad city southern edge ki. British-era cantonment 1857 nunchi 1948 ki active ga, atanu Hyderabad State residency lo British military presence — Hyderabad Contingent unit ga officially. Atanu cantonment 1857 Sepoy Mutiny tarwatha consolidated, 1860s lo barracks construction. Atanu post-1948 Operation Polo tarwatha, atanu Indian Army takeover, atanu 1960s lo functions consolidated to Bolarum cantonment ki, Saidabad barracks decommissioned. Atanu structures partially demolished 1980s lo, kaani 4 barracks original ga, plus oka small chapel, plus oka community hall, atanu preserved ga as municipal property.
Telangana formation 2014 tarwatha heritage initiatives lo aa Saidabad cantonment area ki Hyderabad Heritage Trust engagement. 2018 ki atanu site cleanup, atanu visitor access weekends ki. 2024 ki atanu site oka educational excursion venue ga active ga.
Aa Republic Day weekend — Saturday January 27, 2024 — aa site ki oka NCC unit overnight camp arranged. 18 cadets, age 16-19, 9 boys 9 girls, plus 2 officers, plus 1 caretaker family residing on-site. Atanu unit affiliate Telangana Education Department fictional school cluster Vivekananda Government Higher Secondary, Saidabad jurisdiction.
NCC commanding officer Captain Asha Reddy, age 38, retired army major lateral, ippudu civilian NCC officer. Atanu deputy Lieutenant Mahesh Anand, age 29, NCC permanent. Caretaker family — Bilal Hussain (different from earlier post Bilal — common name, atanu fictional), age 56, plus wife Ferozeh Begum (different from earlier post Ferozeh — common name, atanu fictional), plus daughter Zoya (16), atanu son Faraz (13). Bilal aa caretaker role 2018 nunchi, atanu Hyderabad Heritage Trust contract ki.
Aa weekend trek schedule —
- Saturday morning 9:00 AM arrival at site
- Day activities: heritage tour (3 hours), drill practice (2 hours), lunch break, project work (geography mapping, 2 hours), evening cultural program at community hall
- Overnight: cadets in original Barrack 2 (refurbished modern dormitories), officers in caretaker family auxiliary room, caretaker family own quarter
- Sunday morning: ASI-style heritage briefing, cleanup, departure
Saturday evening cultural program 7:00 PM ki community hall lo. Atanu hall original 1880s construction, atanu 200-person capacity, atanu wooden floors, atanu high ceilings tho ventilation. Cultural program 90 minutes — patriotic songs, oka skit (cadets performed), oka cake cutting. Atanu standard NCC events.
8:30 PM ki dinner. 9:30 PM ki cadets Barrack 2 ki retired ga. Lights-out 10:00 PM ki, NCC discipline.
Sunday January 28, 2024 morning 5:00 AM ki cadets ki wake-up call schedule. Captain Asha aa schedule maintain chesaaru.
Kaani Sunday morning 4:30 AM ki — aa Barrack 2 lo cadets undi simultaneous ga lechaaru. Atanu reason — outside roll-call audible ga.
Roll-call clear ga, structured ga, military style ga. English plus Urdu plus oka stretched dialect (Deccani Urdu emo, kaani inflection unfamiliar). Voice — single male, deep baritone, formal tone.
Names called out:
- "Sergeant Major Reginald Cartwright."
- "Corporal Mohammed Rafi Sheikh."
- "Private David Hooper."
- "Private Imdad Hussain."
- "Private Joseph Crowley."
Aa list 22 names long. Each name ki 3-second pause, atanu like waiting for response. No response heard.
Cadets initial confusion ga. Some thought atanu dawn drill spontaneous officer initiative, kaani Captain Asha schedule lo atanu absent. Some thought local pranksters.
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Charminar Minaret Naluguru
Cadet leader Rohit Krishna (Pavan Krishna brother), age 17, NCC sergeant rank, atanu barrack window vaipu vellaaru curious ga. Atanu ki barrack windows wooden shutters tho, panels closed during sleep. Atanu shutter slow ga slid opened.
Outside — cantonment central parade ground. Empty. Lighting minimal — single security floodlight east corner. Aa floodlight illumination range parade ground center kaadu. Voice source — apparently parade ground center, where no human visible.
Voice continuing list. Names systematic ga.
Rohit ki forearm goosebumps. Atanu camera flash on cheyyaali ani anukunnaadu, kaani phone barrack inside common rack lo locked, atanu dormitory rules.
Atanu silent ga continued listening. Voice list complete chesindhi — 22 names total. Tarwatha pause, tarwatha voice changed tone — "Roll call complete. Twenty-two unaccounted. Standing party dismissed."
Tarwatha silence. 3-4 seconds. Tarwatha voice malli — different inflection, this time English ga, atanu like end-of-shift NCO sign-off — "Father Cornelius, the chapel needs you."
Tarwatha total silence.
Rohit barrack window close chesaaru. Atanu ki body cold sweat — chest area damp ga, breath shallow. Atanu cadets ki turn aaru —
Rohit: "Friends, parade ground empty ga. Voice source visible kaadu. Captain madam ki immediate report cheyyali."
3 cadets atanu plus join chesaaru — Karthik (age 18), Pravalika (age 17), Ananyasree Bhupathi (age 17, Karimnagar background, naa unique find for this batch).
Memu nalugu cadets tho captain Asha auxiliary room ki velli vacchaaru. Captain pre-emptively undi — atanu kuda voice vinindhi own room window dheggara. Lieutenant Mahesh kuda awake.
[CAPT ASHA] "Cadets, naaku kuda atanu voice vinipinchindhi. Naaku aa list lo names recognize cheyyaledu, kaani atanu authentic military roll call structure. Naaku immediate question — site lo unauthorized presence aa. Caretaker Bilal-bhai ki call cheyyali."
Bilal-bhai 5 minutes lo arrival ki, atanu personal quarter cantonment back side ki. Atanu sleepy ga, kaani serious ga listening.
Bilal: "Madam, ee voice mee ki vinipinchindhi anta. Naa ki ee phenomenon site lo 6 years lo first saari kaadhu. Naa ki gurthu , 2019 ki oka Sunday morning naaku similar voice vinipinchindhi, kaani naa interpretation atanu wind ga, atanu radio signal local broadcast emo. Aa saari naaku document cheyyaledu. Mee ki naa request , formal report cheyyandi heritage trust ki, atanu paranormal investigation rather than security investigation ga frame cheyyali."
[CAPT ASHA] "Bilal bhai, mee me observation 2019 lo similar ga. Atanu names mee ki recognize aa? Sergeant Major Reginald Cartwright, Corporal Mohammed Rafi Sheikh, Private David Hooper, atanu list?"
Bilal-bhai eyes wide ga. Atanu silent ga 8 seconds.
Bilal: "Madam, ee names ledhu naa memory lo. Naa heritage trust ki briefing 2018 lo atanu site history , Hyderabad Contingent unit names archived ga, kaani naaku specific names access ledhu. Mee ki naa suggestion , Heritage Trust senior officer Dr. Tarun Bose ki Sunday morning ki call cheyyali. Atanu archives daggara, atanu cross-check possible."
Sunday morning 6:30 AM ki Captain Asha Heritage Trust office line ki call chesindi. Dr. Tarun Bose, age 52, Hyderabad Heritage Trust director, response received. Atanu site visit ki agreed, atanu 9 AM ki site arrival.
Cadets aa morning ki tense ga. Drill practice cancelled, project work optional, breakfast subdued ga. Captain Asha ki priority Dr. Bose conversation ki.
Dr. Bose 9:15 AM ki cherukunnaaru. Atanu archive printout teesi vacchaaru — Hyderabad Contingent unit muster rolls, atanu archive 1857 nunchi 1948 ki digitized. Atanu specific period ki search — atanu names Captain Asha cheppinchina list match aithaayaa ani.
[DR BOSE] "Captain madam, mee me names list naaku cross-check chesaa ee morning. Atanu match. 1947 December 31 muster roll lo Hyderabad Contingent E Company — total 240 soldiers — atanu names lo 22 names match chesayi mee me list ki. Atanu names 1948 January 1 muster roll lo absent ga — atanu unit transferred to Bolarum cantonment ga officially recorded. Kaani naa archival research lo (publicly available 2019 nunchi declassified records lo) atanu 22 specific names atanu transfer lo arrival roster ki absent ga. Atanu records lo 'in transit, status pending' ani noted. Atanu administrative quirk emo, kaani records lo formal closure absent."
[DR BOSE] "Captain madam, atanu 22 names ki ento jarigindhi 1947 December 31 nunchi 1948 January 1 ki — atanu records gap. Naa hypothesis — atanu specific incident, atanu casualties or desertion or deliberate non-record. Hyderabad State 1947 partition aftermath lo political tension, atanu Razakar militia versus British-Hyderabad State alliance, atanu individual unit casualties documentation ki gaps undi. Naa research interest atanu specific gap. Naaku ee voice phenomenon mee me data point first independent."
[CAPT ASHA] "Dr. Bose, mee ki naa cooperation. Cadets ki ee ento explanation ivvali, atanu academic engagement opportunity ga frame cheyyali. Mee ki immediate help — voice phenomenon recurrence prevent cheyyali ani, lekapothe at minimum acknowledgment process ki."
[DR BOSE] "Captain, naa suggestion — voice phenomenon ki acknowledgment ceremony cheyyali. Atanu names public records lo officially acknowledged ga, atanu cantonment heritage register lo updated ga. Atanu mass kaadhu, kaani structural recording. Naa Trust ki ee process initiate cheyyali. Plus mee voice mention chesina 'Father Cornelius, the chapel needs you' — aa Father Cornelius oka real character. Atanu Hyderabad Contingent chaplain 1945-1948 period lo, Catholic priest Irish origin, atanu Bolarum St. George's Church ki affiliated kaani Saidabad satellite chapel ki regular visits. Atanu 1948 February lo Hyderabad nunchi UK ki transferred, atanu retirement. Atanu UK lo 1971 lo gate poyaaru records prakaaram. Atanu name reference — atanu unfinished business cheppe signal emo."
Dr. Bose recommended next step — chapel investigation. Saidabad cantonment chapel small ga, 60-person capacity, original 1880s construction, decommissioned 1948 tarwatha, atanu 2018 lo Heritage Trust restoration partial ga. Atanu structurally sound, kaani public access limited ga.
Captain Asha cadets ki morning excursion ki structured ga organize chesaaru — "Cadets, ee morning incident ki ento academic investigation opportunity. Mee project work modify aithondhi — heritage research project ga. Dr. Bose mee ki guide. Voluntary basis, mee parents ki notification post-event."
12 cadets opted in (including Rohit, Karthik, Pravalika, Ananyasree). Excursion 10:00 AM ki chapel ki, walking distance 400 meters from main barracks.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Paigah Tombs Parityakta
Chapel structure — small stone-built, single nave, wooden pews, altar Catholic style ga. Restoration partial — pews replaced 2018 lo, altar original ga, walls re-plastered. Stained glass windows damaged ga, but frames intact.
Dr. Bose chapel interior tour ichaaru. Cadets ki specific point of interest — atanu altar back wall lo plaque, original ga, brass material.
Plaque inscription — "In Memory of the Officers and Men of E Company, Hyderabad Contingent, who served with distinction. Erected 1949 by surviving comrades."
Below — list of 22 names. Same names Captain Asha list ki match.
Atanu plaque condition — preserved ga, kaani neglected ga. Atanu 1948 incident reference ga, atanu memorial structure intent ga, kaani public visibility limited ga decommissioned cantonment lo.
[DR BOSE] "Cadets, ee plaque atanu 1949 lo erected, kaani site decommissioning 1960s tarwatha, atanu plaque almost forgotten ga. Naa Heritage Trust 2018 restoration scope lo atanu chapel covered, kaani specific plaque outreach absent ga. Naaku mee voice phenomenon ki ee plaque connection — atanu 22 names atanu memorial site lo registered ga, kaani atanu broader public memory lo absent ga. Father Cornelius atanu chaplain ga ee plaque erection lo involved ga likely, atanu chapel ki regular service held ga 1949-50 lo."
[DR BOSE] "Cadets, naaku ee atanu names ki ento jarigindhi specifically — atanu records gap. Naa ongoing research project atanu, kaani naaku tentative hypothesis — atanu group atanu transit lo accident or attack lo casualty ayaaru, atanu Hyderabad State integration period February 1948 ki tense political context lo. Atanu casualties officially documented kaaledu — atanu Indian Army takeover muddled records, atanu British departure rapid ga, atanu specific unit fate atanu administrative gap."
Atanu day evening — January 28 Sunday — Captain Asha Dr. Bose tho coordinated ki acknowledgment ceremony. Atanu schedule ku January 28 itself cheyyali, atanu cadets present while interest engaged ga.
Ceremony 6:00 PM ki chapel lo. Attendees — Captain Asha plus Lieutenant Mahesh, 12 cadets (volunteers from earlier excursion), Dr. Bose, caretaker family Bilal-Ferozeh-Zoya-Faraz (4), plus 3 community elders Saidabad lo (Dr. Bose contacts), plus 1 Catholic priest from Bolarum St. George's Church (atanu peru Father Cornelius pakkana — atanu coincidentally Father Cornelius descendant lineage Catholic order naming convention, atanu fictional ga atanu peru Father Cornelius II ani, atanu real cleric).
Ceremony 25 minutes. Catholic prayer service abbreviated — Father Cornelius II led. Atanu 22 names read out aloud, atanu pause each name ki. Atanu Hyderabad Contingent service acknowledged. Atanu unfinished records acknowledgment statement —
[FATHER CORNELIUS II] "We acknowledge the 22 men of E Company whose service ended without proper closure in February 1948. We name them. We remember them. We commit their souls to peace, regardless of their faith — Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, agnostic. May the memory be kept by this community."
Dr. Bose atanu Heritage Trust commitment statement —"The Hyderabad Heritage Trust hereby commits to formal documentation of these 22 names in our public heritage register, accessible to descendant families and researchers. Plaque maintenance to be regularized. Annual remembrance January 28 to be observed."
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Kakatiya dynasty
Cadets atanu rose pose tradition ga atanu names recital ki silence salute ichaaru. Atanu standard NCC discipline.
Ceremony close 6:30 PM ki.
Sunday January 28 night — cadets aa Barrack 2 lo retired ga 9:30 PM ki, atanu modified Sunday dinner schedule. Lights-out 10:00 PM ki.
Monday January 29 morning 4:30 AM ki — silent. No roll-call.
Cadets aware ga lechaaru pre-emptively — atanu collective tension lo. 4:45 AM, 5:00 AM — silent. Captain Asha morning wake-up call 5:00 AM ki bugle (recorded), schedule maintained.
Sunday morning roll-call phenomenon non-recurrent. Pattern broken.
Cadets that morning project debriefing lo atanu experience structured ga reflected. Captain Asha guided discussion. Dr. Bose joined remote video.
Atanu cadets ki personal reflection — Rohit, Karthik, Pravalika, Ananyasree shared.
Ananyasree: "Madam, naaku ee phenomenon ki initial fear, kaani investigation tarwatha respect ga. Aa 22 atanu unit lo, atanu names lo Catholic, Muslim, Hindu mix ga. Atanu individual lives lo, atanu families ki, atanu communities ki , atanu memory ki due. Memu cadets ga acknowledgment ki present ga undadam atanu privilege."
Karthik: "Madam, naaku ee historical truth ki access , atanu records lo gap, atanu acknowledgment lo gap, atanu manifestation lo signal. Adi atanu structural truth , when truth absent ga in records, manifestation atanu signal. Naaku atanu lesson."
Pravalika: "Madam, naaku ee aa 22 atanu chivaridi waraku roll call kosam wait chesaaru emo, atanu name acknowledgment kosam. 76 years tarwatha, oka NCC unit through chance heritage trek presence, atanu acknowledgment occurred. Atanu coincidence kaadhu ani naaku atanu purpose ga seems."
Captain Asha aa reflections ki listened. Atanu summary —"Cadets, mee responses mature ga. Heritage trek atanu purpose education ga, atanu education atanu formal atanu informal atanu structural atanu emergent ga. Mee ee weekend lo learning curriculum kaadhu — atanu lived. Atanu rare ga, atanu valuable."
Atanu Heritage Trust formal documentation March 2024 ki published. Hyderabad Heritage Register lo aa 22 names listed officially, family search avenue ga, plus historical context note. Annual remembrance January 28 ki Saidabad cantonment lo schedule. 2025 January 28 ki second anniversary ceremony — atanu Pavan Krishna mention chesaaru naaku, atanu attended ga, Rohit too. Atanu ceremony quiet ga, kaani structural ga.
Naaku Pavan Krishna ee story 2024 February ki shared. Atanu Rohit personal observations atanu permission tho. Naaku 2025 March ki blog rendering ki permission ki, atanu names changed.
Aa truth — atanu records lo absent ga undi 76 years. Manifestation atanu signal — "Memu ikkada ga, atanu acknowledgment kavali." Truth atanu acknowledged ga, manifestation ceased. Manishi institutional records ki structural truth obligation ki. Records absent atanu pure absence kaadhu — atanu active gap, atanu signal generator. Heritage Trust atanu signal heard ga, atanu structural fix applied ga. Aa loop close ayindi.
Author's note
Naa colleague Pavan Krishna real name kaadhu, atanu composite. Saidabad British cantonment area Hyderabad city southern part lo real geographic feature. Aa structures specifically ee story lo dramatized ga — actual Saidabad cantonment buildings limited ga remain, ekkuva 1980s lo demolished. Bolarum cantonment active ga, atanu visitor access restricted military area. St. George's Church Bolarum lo real ga, 1844 lo built, Hyderabad Contingent chaplaincy real historical role ga. Father Cornelius real cleric ga 1940s Hyderabad records lo (specific name fictional). 1948 Police Action era lo Hyderabad Contingent fate atanu academic research topic ongoing — Indian Army takeover transitions, unit casualties, records gaps. NCC atanu national cadet corps real organization, atanu heritage treks regular activity. Naa school days lo NCC Karimnagar lo participated 2 years, atanu drills atanu camping atanu memories. Mee NCC days lo similar experiences? Mee Saidabad area lo heritage walks? 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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