Two Non-resident Indians (NRIs), Baranidaran from Puducherry and Deepa from Kerala on August 7 won AED 1 million each in the 37th weekly Mahzooz draw conducted in Dubai.
Both Deepa, who went back to Kerala to see her ailing father, and Baranidaran, whose lucky digit is ‘7’, matched five out of the six winning numbers (1-12-22-23-41-48) during the live draw and rolled over the second prize.
Baranidaran, 40, is crediting the win to his lucky digit. “Seven is my lucky number and now it is one of the luckiest days of my life as the 37th weekly live draw took place on the 7th of August,” stated the Indian citizen who has been away from India for over 10 years.
For the lucky draw, Baranidaran has been a regular participant however, the Malayali woman has tried her luck for the first time. The exciting news of her winning came to Deepa via an email the moment she landed in her hometown.
“It was great to finally reunite with my parents after a long time. But this time, it was a unique moment to cherish as I became a brand-new millionaire,” Sharing her feelings, Deepa added. “I was speechless and it was hard to explain the overwhelming joy I felt! I met my parents and won AED 1 million the same day!”
“The medical expenses were worrying us, but now I can finally heave a sigh of relief after winning big with Mahzooz,” Deepa further said to Khaleej Times, elaborating how to use the money.
The 50-year-old lady who works for a market research company plans to invest a trench of her prize money towards her two children’s education. “My children are equally thrilled about the big win,” stated Deepa, who has been living in the UAE with her family for 18 years. “Now, my husband and I can invest the money to secure a better future for them.”
While Deepa decided to invest her fortunes to secure her children’s future and cure her ailing father, Baranidaran plans to bring his aging parents to the UAE with the money.
“For most expats, living away from their parents is always a major worry. I have always wanted to bring my parents here to live with me, but the financial condition has been a constraint. Now we can live together and there’s nothing more comforting than that,” Baranidaran told Gulf News.