On Wednesday, May 16, around 11 pm, Salman Khan strolled into the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai. In a body-hugging T-shirt, biceps rippling (the beginnings of bags under the eyes too), Salman escorted steady girlfriend Katrina Kaif (she also in a casual tee and tight jeans) into the hotel for a quiet Italian meal. They were quickly ushered to a table at the farthest end of the restaurant where they drew minimum attention. The twosome stopped by only at the long table next to them where pal Chunky Panday was ringing in his mother, Dr Snehlata Panday’s birthday.

On Saturday night, May 19, Salman-Katrina made a threesome along with Boney Kapoor’s son, Arjun, at Olive, the Pali Hill night spot where the Page 3 crowd hangs out.

That Salman and Katrina are a couple is no longer in dispute. That they love dining out before heading back to the same address is also unquestionable. So why doesn’t Salman just marry Katrina Kaif? Sorry, wrong question, for someone close to the couple counters, “The question really is, why would Katrina marry him at this juncture of her career when she’s poised for the big leap to stardom?”

For one, Katrina has just had the season’s best fluke hit, Namastey London, to her credit. As witnessed on Koffee With Karan where she was more Brit than Bollywood, Katrina’s Hindi may still be a big joke and her dialogues may desperately need the services of a professional dubbing artiste before her films are unleashed in the theatres. But reviewers have been kind to Katrina (right uptill Mr India, Sridevi’s voice too used to be dubbed over by a professional but that didn’t hamper her climb to stardom) and the audiences have gradually warmed to her well-chiselled face and her neat, westernised personality.

If she has been lucky enough to have been a part of successful films like Sarkar (albeit in an inconsequential role), Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya and Namastey London, Katrina has also been fortunate that she met the much-older Salman Khan very early in her career. Katrina might’ve remained the misguided, skimpy, bikini-wearing starlet of Kaizad Gustad’s Boom if Salman Khan had not entered her life and ‘clothed’ her with his protection.

Katrina is in her early twenties while Salman Khan has crossed into his forties; there’s a two-decade age difference between them. But Katrina has been singularly lucky that she met the older, improved model of the actor and not the young, impetuous Salman who’d thrash his girlfriends, or pour a cola over their heads in public, or prove a hindrance to their professional ambitions (Sangeeta Bijlani, Somy Ali and Aishwarya Rai have all been through the routine).

His equation with Katrina has been more indulgent, he is almost paternal in his protection. While he’d barge into Aishwarya Rai’s workplace to disrupt her shootings, he has pointedly stayed away from Katrina’s professional commitments, so that he doesn’t scare away her producers. On the contrary, Salman has shown a rare maturity in entering Katrina’s work sphere only when his presence is of help to her. For instance, the fact that he so obviously exists in her life has ensured that Katrina can work without fear, for nobody (not even a chronic flirt like Akshay Kumar) will mess with Salman’s girl. And then, by giving her a full-fledged heroine’s role in his own commercial production, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, he silently raised her status in the industry.

Today, being openly acknowledged as Salman’s girl has not hampered Katrina’s career as producers are not one bit wary of signing her. The doubts — whether Salman would provide nuisance value when she’s working; whether Salman would ‘allow’ her to work without inhibition with other heroes; whether Katrina herself would be serious about her career or would prefer to bask in the attention given to Salman’s girl — have all vanished. In fact, far from being a disruptive nuisance, the older, improved Salman has actually gone out of his way to indulge her career. Apart from casting her once again in his home production, this time titled Partner, he has also quietly asked his other producers to check if Katrina suits any of their projects. If Subhash Ghai said, ‘Yes, she does’ and included Katrina in his new Salman film, Yuvraj, Boney Kapoor, who is casting for his Prabhudeva-directed film (based on the Tamil hit Pokhiri in which Salman plays the lead), said, ‘No, she doesn’t, let’s work with Katrina some other time’. Again, the updated, model boyfriend has only asked his producers to see if she fits in — he is not forcing her on his producers or flexing his muscles when a Boney doesn’t find her suitable for a role.

Ideal situation, huh?

To return to our original question — why don’t they just get married? — the answer is that Katrina Kaif is currently seeing her dreams come true, she is reaching a position few leading ladies manage to reach in so short a time. And proudly watching her northward journey is her indulgent boyfriend. Let her have her heart’s fill of camera, lights, action, before she turns Mrs Salman Khan. For once she changes her surname and her marital status, that may change. Unlike younger brother Arbaaz Khan whose wife Malaika Arora is the ultimate sex symbol, Salman is the quintessential conservative male who doesn’t want his wife to act after marriage!

For the moment, Katrina is like the cat who’s got the cream and is purring with contentment. She’s got her biceps boyfriend by her side and she has a career he has had a definite hand in building.

But the luck is her own.

Catch the latest — Salman Khan may have cocked a snook at Yashraj Films but he hasn’t blocked Katrina Kaif’s entry into the prestigious production house. The project she has bagged is a biggie to be directed by Siddharth Anand. Based on The Bachelor, this will be the much-sought-after Rishi-Neetu offspring Ranbir Kapoor’s second film after Saanwariya. And Katrina is the lucky girl who has been signed to play the lead opposite the young and very eligible Ranbir Kapoor. From an over-40 co-star like Salman Khan to the 20-plus Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina sure is travelling right across the whole spectrum.

Marriage? That can wait, guys!

Bharathi S. Pradhan is managing editor of Movie Mag International