Team Blitz India
KOTTAYAM: It’s the stuff one sees in movies. In a moment of stunning fortune, a Malayali architectural draftsman, Rajeev Arikatt, and his group of 19 co-workers and friends, have hit the jackpot, bagging Rs 34 crore (Dh 15 million) in the popular Big Ticket draw in Abu Dhabi.
The results of the 260th Big Ticket draw held on February 3 have left Rajeev, a 24-year-old Kottayam- born expatriate based in Al Ain, in a state of total disbelief.
Despite receiving the official call from the Big Ticket officials, Rajeev initially doubted the reality of his newfound fortune. “I still can’t believe it. I thought somebody was playing a prank with me. It was only after I got an official confirmation from the organisers that I realised the magnitude of the win,” he said.
Rajeev who moved to Abu Dhabi with his family two years ago, was not in the habit of buying lottery tickets. “Even when I was in Kerala, I can’t recollect a single time that I purchased a lottery ticket. Somehow, I thought it was something of a fake and that the prizes were rigged.” he added.
However, after a long persuasion from his wife he relented to purchase a lottery ticket. That too- he didn’t entirely fund his ticket, he borrowed forty per cent from his wife. “Never in my wildest dreams that I thought I would pocket such a big bonanza. I have to give credit to my wife for helping me buy the ticket,” he added.
