The computer engineer said she ignored several calls, assuming they were spam, only to later discover that she had actually won the Big Ticket prize through a draw.
For Dubai resident Chaitanya Kumari Ramachandran, the Dh1 million Big Ticket prize is not about luxury shopping or lavish celebrations. The single mother already knows where most of the winnings will go—towards her daughter’s dream of studying law abroad.
“My daughter completed Grade 10 and is now in Grade 11. She wants to study law in the UK or Australia, so I am planning to use this money for her education,” Chaitanya said.
The Dubai-based computer engineer, who has lived in the UAE for 14 years, said she first learned about her win after a friend sent her a screenshot.
Before that, she had ignored repeated calls, assuming they were marketing spam. “I am currently in India, so when they called me, I did not pick up because I thought it might be a marketing call or something,” she said.
“One of my friends from Dubai sent me a screenshot asking, ‘Is this you?’ That’s when I checked my email.”
Even then, Chaitanya found it hard to believe the news. “I checked the email two or three times thinking it could be spam. Then I went back to the Big Ticket website again to confirm it was really me,” she said.
“I never imagined I would win Dh1 million. I thought maybe someday I could win Dh25,000 or nothing at all.”
Chaitanya said this was only the sixth time she had purchased a Big Ticket entry. Earlier, she mostly participated with office colleagues, but this time she bought the ticket on her own.
Sharing how she broke the news, she said she first messaged a close friend in Dubai. “She was sleeping at that time, so I just sent her the screenshot,” she said.
She later informed her parents in India, who initially thought she was joking. “They thought I was doing a prank. Then I had to show them the post and explain that it was real.”
Despite the sudden windfall, Chaitanya said she has no plans for extravagant spending. “I already bought a car in India before winning this prize, so I may close that car loan first,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey as a single parent, she said she has learned to prioritise stability over luxury. “God has been good enough to give me whatever minimal things I needed,” she said. “I have struggled a bit in between because I am a single parent, so I feel saving money is the best way to secure our future.”
She added that she plans to continue trying her luck with Big Ticket in the future.
