Anokhi goes to the basement.

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Just then, Anokhi quickly gave a light kiss on Rishabh's lips and, smiling, said, "That's all you're getting! You're only allowed to kiss!"

Hearing this, a victorious smile appeared on Rishabh's face. "That'll do," he said and captured Anokhi's lips between his own.

It was midnight. Anokhi was sleeping peacefully in Rishabh's arms, but he couldn't fall asleep. He was still working.

Because Prafull was unwell, Shivaay had not yet returned to Mumbai. Everyone was busy with their companies due to wedding events, and in just three days, an exhibition was scheduled, increasing Rishabh's workload. He stretched and stepped out onto the balcony to refresh himself. Then, he went to the wine collection room.

Rishabh often smoked cigarettes along with his drink while working late at night, but that was in the past. Ever since he learned that the smell of cigarettes made Anokhi feel breathless, he hadn't touched one. He poured himself a glass of his favorite wine and returned to the balcony.

As he sipped his wine and let the cool breeze relax him, his gaze fell on the garden below. There, he saw Praveen walking around with Veena in his arms. His eyes narrowed at the sight.

He immediately set his glass on the side table, grabbed his jacket, glanced at Anokhi once, and stepped out of the room.

"Praveen, what are you doing outside with Veena this late at night?" Rishabh asked in a low voice as he approached. Praveen turned to look at him upon hearing his voice. By then, Rishabh had reached him.

When Rishabh got close, he noticed Veena was wide-eyed, curiously gazing around, admiring the moon shining in the sky. A smile tugged at Rishabh's lips as he looked at her innocent little face.

Praveen, also looking at Veena, said, "I'm out here because of her. She was crying in the room. Madam wants to roam around—she's not sleepy. So, I brought her here so Shanaya wouldn’t be disturbed."

Rishabh merely responded with a "Hmm" and kept looking at Veena. Meanwhile, Praveen glanced at Rishabh, then held Veena out toward him, saying, "Won't you hold her? You're the only one who hasn't held her yet, except for Shivaay. Shivaay's absence makes sense, but you...?"

"I did hold her at the hospital… Didn't you see?" Rishabh replied hastily.

Seeing him flustered, Praveen squinted his eyes and said, "No, Rishabh. At the hospital, Anokhi held her. You held Anokhi’s hand. Why are you so afraid to take her?"

"I'm not afraid of holding her!" Rishabh immediately said.

"Then what is it?"

"It's just... She's so tiny and delicate. My hands are rough. What if I accidentally hurt her? What if I hold her wrong? What if I grip too hard?" Rishabh said, looking at Veena.

For the first time, Praveen saw Rishabh looking this innocent and confused. It both surprised and amused him. Shaking his head, he said, "Nothing like that will happen. Here, take her."

As he handed Veena to Rishabh, the latter quickly said, "No, no! Don’t remove your hands yet!"

Seeing him so nervous, Praveen burst out laughing. Rishabh, annoyed, snapped, "Shut your mouth, Praveen!"

At Rishabh's anger, Praveen immediately clamped his lips shut and carefully placed Veena in his arms.

The moment Rishabh held Veena, all his anger and hesitation vanished. A broad smile stretched across his face. He leaned down and gently kissed Veena’s forehead. Veena stared at him, and as he gazed at her, he turned serious and asked, "Praveen, are you sure?"

"About what?"

Seeing Rishabh suddenly turn so serious, Praveen was confused.

Rishabh, lightly rocking Veena, said, "About Veena's weight... She's too light. I think she's lighter than normal babies. I don’t think the doctors were right. I feel they didn’t check her properly. What if she's weak? What if she falls sick? We should take her to the hospital for another checkup. We’ll take her tomorrow—or we can go right now. She's awake anyway. Whatever she needs—vitamins, calcium—we’ll get it for her. She's so light… I’m sure she’s weak!"

"Enough, Rishabh! You're scaring me!" Praveen said, stopping him. Then, shaking his head, he added, "I’ve heard of people changing under influence, but today, I’m witnessing it! Living with Anokhi has turned you into a chatterbox!"

Rishabh glared at him. But Praveen, unfazed, continued, "Don't glare at me like that. The Rishabh sir I knew only spoke two words—'Praveen, do it!' or 'Get lost!' But look at you now—my God, what a transformation!"

Then, quickly correcting himself, he said, "Oops, not God—Anokhi! Anokhi has changed you! Look, Veena baby, look at your big papa! The man who feared nothing is afraid of holding you. The man who never spoke won’t stop talking now!"

"Shut up, Praveen," Rishabh warned, scowling, and sat on the nearby sofa with Veena in his arms. Praveen chuckled and sat beside him.

Rishabh lightly tapped Veena’s nose with his finger and said, "Now you’re here too… We have to take care of you as well."

"Rishabh, maybe big papa is right," Praveen suddenly said.

Hearing this, Rishabh looked at him. Praveen seemed serious. The solemnity in his eyes made Rishabh’s own gaze harden.

"What are you trying to say?" Rishabh asked.

Praveen sighed. "You know exactly what I mean, Rishabh. Big papa has told you to completely leave 'The Seven Rings.' You know it, I know it. We all know that, though our mission ended—'The Seven Rings' was formed for a purpose. Anant Sethi is dead. That Istanbul gangster is dead. Every single one of them is dead. Our revenge is over. Yet… somewhere, somehow, we’re still connected to it. Big papa knows it too, Rishabh—that if you witness a crime, you still take matters into your own hands. You still use the basement. But maybe it’s time to put an end to all of it."

Praveen fell silent. Rishabh, holding Veena, listened quietly.

Praveen wasn’t lying. Every word he said was true. Though life had seemingly returned to normal, somewhere deep down, 'The Seven Rings' was still a part of them. The revenge was over, but his hands were still stained with blood.

Taking a deep breath, Rishabh looked at Veena and said, "Maybe you’re right, Praveen. Maybe it’s time to stop. Yes, I created 'The Seven Rings' to destroy Anant Sethi. I asked you to join because you wanted power. Hardik joined me to avenge Rakhi. Abhinav worked for me because he needed a reason to live. And the others supported us. But now, it's over. And now, we must end it completely. We were alone before, but not anymore. I never thought someone would come into my life or that I’d let someone in. My life was about one thing—revenge. On Anant Sethi. On Kalindi. Dad blackmailed me into marrying Cupcake, and that’s how I met her. But now, seeing Veena… it changes things. For them, for our children, we have to end this."

Praveen smirked and teased, "But Rishabh, you’ll have to wait a long time for your children! By the time you become a father, you’ll already be everyone’s big papa! Your wife has to grow up first before she can become a mother. She's still a kid herself!"

Rishabh shot him a glare. "I see ever since you stopped working under me, your mouth has been running a little too much!"

Just then, he felt something wet on his T-shirt. Looking down, he saw Veena had peed on him!

Praveen burst out laughing. "See? My daughter didn't like what you said about her father!"

Praveen took Veena from Rishabh's hands and started going inside. Rishabh shook his head from behind and, following him, mumbled to himself, "Everyone here exists just to trouble me! And now this new one has also come to trouble me!"

After changing, when he came to Anokhi, he saw—she was clinging tightly to Rishabh's pillow, sleeping with her mouth slightly open! Her head wasn’t even on the pillow… The pillow was somewhere else, and the blanket was somewhere else.

Rishabh shook his head and properly covered Anokhi with the blanket.

Then, he gently placed her head on the pillow, adjusted it properly under her head, and sat down beside her. Leaning close to her face, he whispered, "Was Praveen really wrong? You haven't even grown up yet, so how will you become a mother? You’re still so childish, so where will our kids come from, huh, Cupcake?"

Saying this, he lightly rubbed his nose against Anokhi’s cheek. In her sleep, Anokhi made a face, making Rishabh smile softly. Then he gently kissed her cheek, which caused Anokhi to stir slightly in her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, turned her face towards Rishabh, and in a sleepy voice, asked,

"Where did you go?"

"I was right here in the room," Rishabh replied.

Anokhi pouted and said, "Liar! Liar! I woke up a little while ago, looked around the room, and you weren’t here."

Anokhi was still half-asleep. Her eyes were barely open, heavy with sleep. Her puffed cheeks and messy hair made her look even cuter, making it impossible for Rishabh to hold back his laughter.

Praveen took Veena from Rishabh’s hands and started going inside. Rishabh shook his head from behind, following him while muttering to himself, "Everyone here exists just to trouble me! This new one too, she has come only to make my life difficult!"

After changing, when he came near Anokhi, he saw—she was clumsily hugging Rishabh’s pillow tightly, sleeping with her mouth open! Her head wasn’t even on the pillow... the pillow was somewhere else, the blanket somewhere else.

Rishabh shook his head and carefully covered Anokhi with a blanket.

Then, gently, he placed her head on the pillow, adjusting it properly under her head. Sitting beside her, he leaned in and softly said, "What wrong did Praveen say? You haven't grown up yet, so how will you become a mother? Your childishness still hasn’t gone, so how will we even have kids, huh, Cupcake?"

Saying this, he lightly rubbed his nose against Anokhi’s cheek. Anokhi, still in her sleep, made a face, which made Rishabh smile slightly. Then, he gently kissed her cheek, causing her to stir a little in her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, turned her face towards Rishabh, and in a sleepy voice, asked,

"Where did you go?"

"I was in the room," Rishabh replied.

Anokhi pouted, "Liar! Liar! Just a while ago, I woke up, looked around the room, and you weren’t here."

Anokhi was still half-asleep. Her eyes were half-open, drowsy. Her puffed-up cheeks, messy hair—her cuteness had increased even more, making it impossible for Rishabh to stop himself from laughing.

Rishabh, still hugging Anokhi while sitting there, chuckled and said, "I just went down to the garden for some fresh air."

"So, you're done with your work? If it's done, then sleep. I'm really sleepy too."

Saying this, Anokhi tightly wrapped both her arms around Rishabh’s neck. Rishabh lay beside her and turned, pulling her onto him. Within seconds, Anokhi fell into deep sleep again.

But Rishabh’s sleep was miles away. His mind was only revolving around Praveen’s words. He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind about something. Carefully placing Anokhi’s head back on the pillow, he stood up. Then, he walked towards the changing room and stood before the mirror that led him to the basement through a lift in just 20 minutes.

He pressed a green diamond embedded in the mirror’s design, causing the mirror—actually a lift door—to open. Just as he was about to step in, he felt as if someone had grabbed his T-shirt from behind.

He immediately turned around—Anokhi was there.

"Cupcake?" he said.

Anokhi looked at him without any expression and then asked,

"You're going back to the basement? Is there someone there? Are you going to torture someone again?"

Hearing her questions, Rishabh went silent for a moment. Then, he slowly freed his T-shirt from her grip and entwined his fingers with hers.

One by one, he answered all her questions. "Yes, I am going to the basement. No, there’s no one there. And I am not going to torture anyone."

Looking into her eyes, he added, "I'm going to shut it down forever."

Hearing this, Anokhi’s eyes lit up. She asked, "Really?"

Rishabh nodded. "Yes, I am following Dad’s words. And anyway, I told you, right? I started this only to end Anant Sethi. With his end, this will end too."

Hearing him, Anokhi smiled. Rishabh kissed her forehead and said, "Go to sleep. I’ll be back in a little while."

Just then, Anokhi placed her hand on his chest again, grabbing his shirt, stopping him, and said, "Can I come with you?"

Rishabh was a bit surprised. Anokhi had never asked to go to the basement before. He knew she was afraid—just the thought that he tortured people there scared her. He immediately refused, "No, Cupcake. You can’t come."

"Please, Rishabh ji. I deserve to know every aspect of your life—whether it is happiness, pain, or something painful."

"And what if you start fearing me? If you start running away from me out of fear?" Rishabh asked.

Anokhi burst into laughter. Seeing her laugh, Rishabh was confused.

Anokhi smiled and said, "Rishabh ji, you know very well that your Cupcake might fear you, but she can never run away from you. Even if I am scared, I will come to you to chase that fear away. In this lifetime, it’s impossible for your Cupcake to leave you."

She looked into his eyes as she spoke, and Rishabh just silently listened to her. Only he knew how much peace her words brought to his heart. Then, he took Anokhi with him towards the basement.

When the basement door opened, the deep darkness made Anokhi uneasy. She immediately clutched Rishabh’s hand tightly. Along with that, the strange smell in the basement made her feel even more unsettled.

"Cupcake, we can still go back. It’s not necessary for you to see every part of my life."

"It is necessary! Now turn on the lights, I can't see anything," Anokhi said, trying to hide her nervousness.

Rishabh clapped his hands, and the corridor lights turned on. Then, he started walking slowly, taking Anokhi with him.

Anokhi kept looking at the surrounding rooms as they walked ahead. They looked strange but seemed normal. Just then, Rishabh stopped in front of the torture room. He glanced at Anokhi, who was still looking around. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to the room.

As soon as the door opened, Anokhi’s breath caught in her throat.

The scene inside the room looked like something out of a horror movie.

On one side, there were weapons—knives, guns, whips... and who knew what else.

On the other side, the entire wall was covered with pictures of those whom Rishabh had tortured, those he had killed.

In the middle, there was a chair, still stained with blood. The same chair where he used to tie his prey and hunt them down. The walls had blood splatters.

The same king’s chair where he sat like a ruler, watching his prey beg for their lives.

Anokhi’s feet felt glued to the ground. She was frozen.

Rishabh noticed her and held her wrist.

Leading her, he brought her to where his daggers were kept—various kinds of daggers.

Rishabh picked up one of his favorites, the one marked with an 'L'. Handing it to Anokhi, he said, "Do you know, Cupcake? When I had no one, I had this. With this, I vowed to take revenge for all the injustices done to me and my loved ones. It never betrayed me, never disappointed me. It became my identity in the world where people started trembling just at my name. Now, the name 'Lucifer' alone is enough to make people shiver."

Anokhi was looking at Rishabh with slight fear. At this moment, the man standing before her was not her Rishabh ji or her Rakshas Shergill, but Lucifer. The Lucifer she had met only once—when he had killed Anant Sethi.

Anokhi was lost in her thoughts, while Rishabh was lost in his memories. Leaving her to her thoughts, he walked towards the pictures on the wall. Anokhi slowly followed behind.

As he looked at each picture, so did Anokhi. He had taken pictures of each of them after their deaths.

One picture was so terrifying that, upon seeing it, Anokhi immediately covered her face with both hands, a small scream escaping her lips.

Hearing her, Rishabh immediately came to her. He removed her hands from her face and looked into her eyes.

Anokhi looked up at him and was shocked for a moment. There was no love in Rishabh’s eyes right now—there was a different kind of madness, something she had never seen before.

In a cold tone, Rishabh said, "Didn’t I tell you, Cupcake? Don’t come here. You will be scared—of this place and of me."

Anokhi immediately lowered her gaze. Tears welled up slightly in her eyes.

Rishabh looked at her like that for a few moments, then let go of her hand and moved to the other side, placing all the weapons into a large box.

Anokhi kept her head down and listened to the sound of the weapons being put away, but not once did she lift her gaze to look at Rishabh.

When the sounds stopped, she finally looked up.

Rishabh was silently standing there, looking at her.

Now, everything in the room had disappeared—all those pictures, all the weapons. Everything.

Even the expressions on Rishabh’s face had returned to normal.

Spreading his arms, he said, "Come on, let’s leave Lucifer here and move on."

Hearing this, Anokhi ran to him and hugged him tightly.

Crying, she said, "You… you must always remain my Rishabh Ji. My Rakshas Shergill. Never turn back into Lucifer. I can’t bear to see you like that."

Rishabh wiped her tears, then, with a soft smile, said, "Maybe you didn’t hear what I said, Cupcake… let’s leave Lucifer here forever and move on."

"Promise?" Anokhi asked.

Rishabh placed a soft kiss on her lips and said, "A solid promise."

Then, he lifted her in his arms and started walking out of the room.

Before leaving, he turned once to look at the room, then moved forward with a faint smile.

Meanwhile, Anokhi had wrapped her arms around his neck, but her gaze was still on the room.

The next day—

Shivaay was working on his laptop in his office.

A pile of files was stacked in front of him, and his assistant, sitting in the chair opposite, was updating him on all the activities so far and the preparations for the upcoming exhibition.

Running his fingers over his forehead, Shivaay said, "I hope everything goes well tomorrow. It’s Anokhi’s jewelry brand’s first exhibition."

"But sir, people already like her jewelry."

"Yes, but until now, it was through Mitali. Now Anokhi is stepping forward herself, and that’s very important. Even the slightest mistake, and Rishabh’s anger will erupt like a volcano. And I’m absolutely not ready to burn in that volcano."

Then, in a warning tone, he added, "And if I even get the slightest hint that something is going wrong, I will burn all of you alive."

Hearing this, his assistant and all the employees in the cabin nodded nervously.

Just then, Shivaay remembered something.

"By the way, you were about to tell me something important, right? What is it? You haven’t told me yet?"

Hearing Shivaay’s question, the assistant opened his mouth but then hesitated—

"The matter is related to Swati Ma’am and is very serious. If I tell him now, Shivaay Sir will lose control, and it will definitely affect tomorrow’s exhibition. If that happens, it will impact both our company and Rishabh Sir’s new company. It’s better to tell him later."

Thinking this, he said, "No, sir. It’s not that important. We can talk later."

"Alright. For now, just get me a coffee."

Shivaay said.

Just then, Shivika entered and said, "The coffee is ready, sir!"

"So, Madam is finally back from her trips. Your brother has been working himself to the bone here, but Madam never stops roaming around!" Shivaay glared at her.

Placing the coffee mug in front of him, Shivika lightly tapped his head and said, "Well, of course! I just got married, so I’ll travel! If you want to travel too, go get married yourself."

"Oh great, here she comes to rub salt in my wounds!" Shivaay grumbled, picking up the coffee mug.

Then he said to Shivika, "By the way, I was with Dad, and in the meantime, you managed all the exhibition preparations here. I didn’t have to put in much effort. I’m impressed!"

"Of course! I am talented!" Shivika said smugly, making Shivaay smile.