Big Ticket Abu Dhabi: Kerala woman wins Dh150,000, thanks to husband’s secret purchase

Abu Dhabi: Big Ticket Abu Dhabi hopefuls try every trick in the book to get that much-anticipated call from show hosts Richard and Bouchra. Once you hear their voices, it usually means one thing – you’ve won. But for Sreeja Nandakumar Yezhuvath, the moment was filled with utter disbelief.

The 45-year-old document controller from Kerala, who has been living in Abu Dhabi with her family since 2002, had no idea that her husband had purchased a ticket in her name.

“Are you pranking me?” she asked Richard, who broke the news of her winning Dh150,000 in the weekly e-draw. She immediately cross-checked with her husband, who confirmed it was a genuine call from Big Ticket.

“Yes, my husband bought the ticket in my name,” she said.

After trying their luck for 10 years, the couple finally struck it lucky. They had been regularly buying tickets every month – sometimes on their own, other times with a group of friends. This time, the winning ticket (054565) was purchased by her husband just a day before the draw, without informing her.

“To be honest, I was never the one really into Big Ticket. It was always my husband who made sure we bought our tickets every month. When I received the winning call, I was in complete shock and disbelief. I genuinely thought it was a scam at first. I still don’t know whether to believe it or not.”

At that point, Richard guided Sreeja to the YouTube page to watch the show live.

“Oh my God! I’m so happy. It still feels like a dream.”

The couple haven’t yet decided how they’ll use the prize money, but Sreeja does have a few ideas in mind.

“Hopefully everything works out. I’ve started believing in Big Ticket more now and will continue entering future draws. My husband always says, ‘One day, your time will come.’ So, my advice to others is: never give up.”

Meanwhile, two other Indian expats also won Dh150,000 each in the same draw.