Malappuram,07 March (H.S.):In a dramatic twist of fate, a Kerala expatriate who was preparing to end his two-decade-long life in the Gulf has won the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket jackpot worth 1.5 million dirhams (approximately ₹37 crore) just days before his planned return to India.

Vibeesh, a native of Vazhikkadavu in Malappuram district, received the life-changing news only a day before boarding a flight back home. The winning ticket — numbered 394150 — was part of the popular Abu Dhabi Big Ticket draw.

Vibeesh has been living in the UAE for more than 20 years and currently works as a pickup van driver for a transport company in Sharjah. Like many expatriates, he had spent years working hard to support his family back home.

Interestingly, Vibeesh had been purchasing Big Ticket lottery tickets consistently for the past 15 years, hoping that one day luck would favour him. But this particular ticket was bought almost reluctantly.

According to Vibeesh, he had already exhausted his monthly budget for buying lottery tickets. However, on February 28, his friends and relatives persuaded him to purchase one more ticket. Though he initially resisted due to financial constraints, he eventually agreed to buy it online — not just for himself, but also on behalf of three friends who had joined him in the purchase.

That decision turned out to be life-changing.

The news of the jackpot reached Vibeesh on Wednesday evening while he was returning home after work. Officials from the Big Ticket draw contacted him by phone to inform him that his ticket had won the grand prize.

Unable to believe the news at first, Vibeesh immediately called his wife Rasna and asked her to verify the results on the official website. Once confirmed, the family was overwhelmed with joy and disbelief.

Vibeesh said the prize money would be shared equally among the four participants who had jointly purchased the ticket.

Speaking after the win, he said that his biggest priority now is securing the future of his daughter Vandana, who studied at the Indian School in Sharjah and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Bengaluru.

For Vibeesh, who was about to leave the Gulf after two decades of hard work, the win feels nothing short of destiny. He said the prize will help ensure a secure and comfortable future for his family.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman