For Tajuddin Aliyar Kunju, a 61-year-old Indian expat from Trivandrum, Kerala, a casual group effort turned into a life-changing moment, in just five months of trying.

“I still can’t believe it. We hit the jackpot in just five attempts,” said Tajuddin, who has been living in Al Hail, Saudi Arabia, for the past 40 years, running a small waterproofing and transport business.

He bought ticket number 306638 online on April 18, as part of a group of 16 friends and colleagues who regularly pool their money to buy Big Ticket entries. “Each of us contributes Dh70 every time. We always buy two jackpot tickets. This time, we got two free tickets under a promotion, and it was one of the free tickets that won us the jackpot,” he said.

While the win came as a shock, what stands out is the group’s sense of purpose. From the beginning, they had decided that if they ever won, one share of the prize would be donated to charity. “We are 16 people, but the prize will be divided into 17 parts, because one part will go to charity. That’s something we agreed on right from the first ticket we bought,” said Tajuddin.

The news of the win, however, didn’t reach him directly at first. “I had mistakenly put my Indian number while registering, so the Big Ticket team called my house in Kerala. My wife picked up but disconnected the call, thinking it was a prank,” he said.

Tajuddin Aliyar Kunju

It was only when his brother-in-law who lives in Dubai saw the draw results and called him that he realised what had happened. “He asked me if I had participated in the draw. I said yes, and he told me, ‘You have won.’ I said, ‘Please don’t joke like that.’ But when he showed me the name and number, I felt like I was floating. The earth slipped away from under me,” said Tajuddin.

The group hasn’t yet decided how they will use the money. “We have called for a meeting. We will sit down and decide together what to do with the winnings,” he said.

Winning such a massive amount through a free promotional ticket, and staying true to their promise of giving back, makes this group’s journey truly special.

This was only his fifth time participating in Big Ticket. “This was only our fifth time trying. I never imagined that I would win, especially with a free ticket. It’s unbelievable. You never know when your time will come,” said Tajuddin.