It's right in the middle of Shah Rukh and Salman Khan's homes. Nice to have an Abraham between two King Khans, don't you think?" he quips about his newly acquired home in Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai.

"I'm getting a terrace constructed into it, so I can have story sessions at home," he confesses shyly.

So is this part of the preparation to finally tie the knot with Bipasha Basu?

John laughs, "I wish it was. Though we both firmly believe in the institution of marriage and would love to get married, our respective careers have taken off in a big way.

I see Bipasha being extremely busy for the next couple of years. She has now begun to sign big banners and top-line projects including Dhoom 2. In any case everyone knows we're a couple. We've never pretended to be ‘just good friends'.

So marriage would just be an inevitable conclusion to a relationship that's common knowledge. More than love, I respect Bipasha. It would be my greatest joy to marry the woman I love and respect." John takes great pride in his woman's sudden and startling weight loss. "Bipasha works even harder than me at the gym. Her energy and drive just zap me. She's completely made over. Bipasha has just begun her second innings, and so have I."

Understandably John is said to be very upset about not being part of the Dhoom sequel. "I can't pretend I didn't want to be part of Dhoom 2. but I ‘m too happy to see Bipasha working in it, even if I am not. Both Bipasha and I are comfortable doing unconventional films. But we have to move on."

2005 has been a great year so far in which John Abraham is set to break the mould again. From Priyadarshan's comedy "Garam Masala" to B.R. Chopra's family drama "Babul" to Kabir Khan's intense "Kabul Express" - Hindi cinema's "cool villain" has his kitty full of varied characters this year.