There’s a rather good reason why actor John Abraham has increasingly been making public appearances with girlfriend Priya Runchal. While the actor himself has not spoken about his relationship with the investment banker as yet, insiders insist that the couple is ready to take their commitment to the next level.

Formal announcements of the marriage are in the offing, say sources. Rubbishing all rumours of the couple already being engaged, a friend close to the star, lets in that though marriage is on the cards for John this year, the two are not engaged as of now.

Confirming it, a close friend of the actor says that the two will indeed be tying the knot soon. “Contrary to rumours, the two are not engaged, even though both their families have met each other and approve of them. In fact, they will be announcing the engagement and the marriage dates very soon," says the friend.

Dismissing all rumours about their relationship, the friend adds that there is a lot of respect that John gives to his relationships. “Even when he was with his ex Bipasha Basu, he never hid his relationship and gave it all the respect. This time too, it’s no different. He is more than happy to have Priya in his life and though he has not been talking about it, he’s not hiding it either. He just wants to maintain the privacy of their personal life. But when he ties the knot, he will let the world know.

The two have been dating for almost eight to nine months now, after meeting through some common friends, much after his split with Bipasha. Everyone close to John knows about it. The two had hit it off instantly, and had even bonded over the fact that both are from a financial background — she’s an investment banker based out of LA and he’s an MBA graduate,” explains a family friend.

Talking about Priya, another source reveals that everyone in John’s family is very fond of her and she has also been spotted at various occasions on family outings. “His friends like Priyalot. Though she is a very private person herself, she’s unfazed by rumours about their relationship,” the source says, adding, “John had met Priya’s parents on his recent visit to LA and the families have also met and plan to make the marriage announcements sometime early this year.”