The father’s first thought was for his two daughters, as the life-changing prize will secure their future and settle family debts.
Abu Dhabi: A routine task—searching for his car in a packed parking lot—nearly cost an Indian expat the moment he had waited six years for. Saravanan Venkatachalam let the call from an unknown number go to voicemail, unaware it was Big Ticket announcing his Dh25 million jackpot win.
The 44-year-old engineer from Chennai only discovered his newfound fortune when his phone began buzzing incessantly with calls from his wife and friends. “I thought it was a prank,” Saravanan admitted. “It took several confirmations before I believed that the ticket I bought with my colleagues had actually won.”
A Father’s Promise Fulfilled
With the initial shock fading, Saravanan’s thoughts immediately turned to his family. The father of two daughters, aged 11 and 6, described the win as a gateway to securing their future.
“My children’s education is my top priority. This win means I can give them everything I had dreamed of,” he said. The financial windfall will also allow him to wipe clean all outstanding debts, a relief for many expats building a life abroad. “You come here because you have responsibilities. This win helps me clear my commitments and start fresh.”
A Shared Dream, A Collective Victory
The winning ticket was not a solo effort but the result of a long-standing group tradition. Inspired by a colleague’s win years ago, Saravanan regularly pooled funds with 25 other co-workers and ex-colleagues.
Purchased online during a ‘buy one, get one’ promotion, the lucky ticket (number 463221) has now transformed the lives of the entire group, with each member receiving a share of approximately Dh1 million.
As congratulatory messages continue to flood in, Saravanan is adjusting to his new reality—a reality that began with a missed call and ended with a future full of promise for his family and friends.
