Wedding bells may not be that far away for actors Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor as the two are contemplating marriage sooner than the three-four-year target they had set earlier.

“Oh yes, much sooner. In fact, people may be hearing an announcement from us very soon. If I had my way, I’d marry her today right here in London where she’s joined me,” Saif told IANS over phone.

“Yes, I’m ready to make it legal any time. In any case, aren’t we supposed to have gone through a secret Muslim marriage?” he says sarcastically about certain media reports.

Saif was married to Amrita Singh and after 13 years of marriage and two children, the couple separated in 2004. After he divorced Amrita, he dated Italian model Rosa Catalano, but broke up with her in 2007.

The romance between Saif and Kareena took off on the sets of “Tashan”. And Saif has never sounded so fiercely committed.

“If I’m sounding that way, it’s because that’s how I feel. With due respects to all the other relationships in life, after my marriage to Amrita and my two kids, this is the most important relationship I’ve had.”

Saif can barely contain his anxiety and eagerness to do the right thing.

“Of course, I’m anxious. You must understand this is the most important part of my life… so much so that at times I find even my career taking a backseat to my relationship. I’ve to guard against that. I must quickly learn to separate the professional from the personal.”

Saif admits it would take his children Sarah and Ibrahim a while to get used to the changes in their dad’s life.

“I’m not going to pretend that my children, Kareena and I have become one big family. They’re intelligent kids with a mind of their own. Sarah is in fact 13 and a lady herself. It would be quite a while before they are fully comfortable with the change in my life.

“They haven’t spent that much time with Kareena to know her as well as I do. But the good thing is everyone close to me realises that this relationship is for keeps, that I’ve never been more serious. Now it’s entirely up to me and Kareena to take the relationship to the next level.”

Saif is upset with reports that he has lately been crowding his ladylove with his attentions.

“Of course, I want to be with her as much as I can. My regret is we can’t be together more often. We are uncannily similar people and I’ve only now begun to understand why I need to be with her constantly. She complements me, as I hope I complement her. So of course, I try to be where she is.”

He dislikes people intruding into his personal life and says: “I understand people want to put our relationship under a microscope. They want to know about our relationship. But there’s only so much that they can know or perceive. What Kareena and I feel for each other, only the two of us know.”