By Subhash K Jha

It's been a harrowing 24 hours for Katrina Kaif. While her new film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan has opened to a welcoming response, the film's leading lady was almost stuck in London when he and her Dulhan director Ali Abbas Zafar missed their flight back to Mumbai after the film's premiere.

"That's where our nightmare began, " recounts Katrina, who landed in Mumbai almost 20 hours behind schedule.

"I had to get back to Mumbai at any cost. I don't know how we missed our flight. But we did, and paid a heavy price for it. "

Saying this, Katrina chooses to not talk about the actual nightmare.

Katrina and her director had to run helterkskelter at Heathrow airport trying to find the first flight out to Mumbai. They managed to get seats on a flight to Mumbai on Oman Air, via Oman.

That's when Katrina's nightmare began.

Says a source, "At first Katrina and Ali chose to laugh about their predicament. As the journey proceeded it became increasingly difficult for them to laugh in the face of adversity. "

The worst was yet to come. The flight stopped at Oman before reaching Katrina to Mumbai.

Says a source, "It would be a bit of an exaggeration to say Katrina returned battered and bruised. But yes, it was the worst journey of her life. "

Breathing a huge sigh of relief Katrina says, "I managed to get back. It was not a pleasant experience. Let's leave it at that. I've learnt my lesson. I'll never miss a flight again. And if I do I'll wait for a proper alternative flight.

And to think Ali Abbas Zafar and I rushed to Heathrow to catch an early flight because I needed to be back in Mumbai. Imran Khan and Ali Zafar took a later flight and reached Mumbai fresh as daisies. I landed looking like a wreck. "