Indian wins first Big Ticket of the year worth Dh12 million
I still cannot believe it. Is it me? Is it really me? I have to sit down with a cool head and plan ahead. One thing I am sure about. I do not want to leave the UAE.” Harikrishnan V. Nair Big Ticket winner
abu dhabi — Nisha Hari was about to play a prank on her husband by telling him he had won the Dh12 million in Big Ticket draw. But luck beat Nisha to it, as her husband Harikrishnan V Nair, 42, actually turned out to be the winner in the Big Ticket raffle draw held in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
“I cannot believe it. Is it me? Is it really me?” an excited Nair, who hails from Kerala, India, told Khaleej Times over the phone. He won Dh12 million — the biggest-ever raffle prize money by the Big Ticket — for his ticket number 086828.
So, what is he going to do with all the money? “I have always wanted to travel the world with my family. I think 2018 is the year for that. I will plan a world tour soon,” said Nair, who has a sevenyear-old son, Karan. A business development manager for a Dubai firm, Nair has been living in the UAE with his family since 2002.
His wife Nisha, a logistics support staff, still could not believe the news. “I was dumbfounded when I got the call from my husband. At first, I thought he was playing the same prank I had planned on him.”
She added: “Even yesterday, he was casually telling me he may win the ticket. I laughed it away saying he thought the same thing the previous month as well, when he bought the ticket. “Now that he has won the jackpot, I will let him figure out what he wants to do with it. He is, after all, a business development manager and would know better how to manage his funds,” said Nisha with a laugh.
However, she would like him to have a Harley Davidson bike or a Chevrolet Camaro car. “Hari is a fun-loving person, and he has always fancied owning a sports car,” said Nisha.
On his part, Nair said it was the third time he was buying the Big Ticket, but never expected to win. “I cannot wait to see my son’s excitement when I tell him I have won the Big Ticket. Before leaving for school today, he had asked me about the draw. “I do not have any special plans as such. I have to sit down with a cool head and plan my life ahead. One thing I am sure about. I do not want to leave the UAE. This is the place where dreams come true. I won’t leave my job either because I am very happy with my boss.
“I would like to plan for my son’s education and buy another house in India. I want to take good care of my mother and my wife’s mother too, who are back in India.”
Charity is also on top of Nair’s agenda. “I have always wanted to help people in need, and by God’s grace I can do it now. That is something I will really do.”