Binita Jain is on top of the world right now. And why not? The Guwahati resident recently became the first crorepati of the popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati‘s 10th season. Binita had no lifelines left when she won the Rs 1 crore question. And the KBC 10 winner played it safe as she decided not to attempt the last question for Rs 7 crore and take home the amount she had won so far.

During a conversation with thestatesman.com, Binita said she hadn’t expected to go this far, and that it was “a big surprise” for her.

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So, how did she prepare for the show?

“I started the formal preparation once I got the call. And I got the call on 1 September. I got hardly 15 days. I made the most of those 15 days. The preparation helped me in the Rs 1 crore question. That’s the one question that came from whatever preparation I did. I think the whole life is a preparation for KBC. Maybe you have read it somewhere, like the 7th and 8th question I remember reading as a kid,” she said.

According to Binita, she wasn’t too confident about the win. “On the first day of the show, when I came to the hot seat, people are telling me now that they were very confident that I’ll reach 25 lakhs. I wasn’t so confident about it. Once the first day got over and we were getting ready for the next day, everyone in my family was like just two more question you’ll do it.”

For Binita, meeting Amitabh Bachchan was a big “achievement”, and the megastar left her completely floored.

“Money apart, the biggest achievement of my life has been meeting Amitabh Bachchan. I think it is a dream of everyone, every person in India. I had a chance to sit with him for so long, I talked to him face to face, that’s a memorable experience. He is so much more than being humble. I was parched and needed water. I asked Sir can I have a glass of water, he came down from his seat and said, ‘Main de deta hun, aap baithe rahiye’. I was simply floored by his humility, what a thorough gentleman he is,” said Binita.

She answered 15 questions to win Rs 1 crore. Talking about the pressure she felt while facing the questions, Binita said: “The maximum pressure I felt was when I answered the first couple of questions. When I was getting settled. I even fumbled during the initial questions. I almost got a wrong answer and I clarified the question once again. After that question, Amitabh Sir realised that I was getting tensed and nervous and said, ‘aaram se kheliye’. That really calmed me down and there was no hesitation anymore. Everything went off very smoothly.”

Rs 1 crore is big money, and even after tax cuts, the 46-year-old Binita be able to take home a substantial amount. And she knows how she wants to spend it.

“I want to keep it aside for my son’s Dental clinic. He is about to complete his MDS (Master of Dental Surgery). That money is going to be very useful for me,” said Binita.

Reaching the KBC hot seat is a dream for most Indians and many keep trying to get there. Binita has some advice for them. “I have been trying for KBC since the first season. You never know when your luck is going to favour you. I would just say not to get disheartened, you never know when your turn might come. I never imagined that out of crores of entries, I’ll get selected. When the call came for the next level I was surprised. Then every level was getting me closer to the hot seat.”

Not used to limelight, Binita has been busy giving interviews to different media organisations. She said she never imagines such limelight, and gives luck some credit for this. “Knowledge is a different thing, but getting a platform to show your knowledge is equally important in this case. I cannot thank my luck enough.”

Though she quit the game as she was not confident to answer the last 16th question for Rs 7 crore, Binita made the correct guess while trying to answer the toughest question of the show. Binita, however, did not regret her decision as she told the media it was a “wild guess”.

Binita spoke about her personal life while on the hot seat. Her husband was abducted 15 years ago, by suspected terrorists, and he never returned home. Binita said the incident only made her stronger. “I was distraught by whatever happened. But I gathered my courage for my children. Seeing their faces gave me confidence every day. I came out of the troubled times and started a new life. It started with few students and then as more started coming in, I knew this was my calling. That has been truly my Kab Tak Rokoge moment.”