“There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.” ― Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

Love. It sure is a strange thing. Especially in the cynical society we live in, the transient and fickle nature of any kind of relationship, more often than not, leaves you battered and broken – and yet you never really give up trying.

Celebrity romances especially are viewed with utmost cynicism. In an era where virtually every celebrity is accessible via social media, we view their every move with a critical eye, perhaps often forgetting that they too have a beating pulse and are just as guilty of making mistakes like the rest of us.

One such romance, that of Nick Jonas, a 25 year old singer and musician from America, and our own ‘Desi Girl’, Priyanka Chopra, was ridiculed widely across the world. Especially (and sadly) in India, where on the surface at least, women are expected to abide by societal norms, and where even till date, they're frowned upon for living life on their terms.

This romance was out of the ordinary more so because Chopra is eleven years older than Jonas – and many a meme has already gone viral for ridiculing their large(ish) age gap. Yet the same society doesn’t bat an eyelid when a Ranbir Kapoor dates an Alia Bhatt (ten years his junior), or when Shahid Kapoor marries Mira Rajput (fourteen years his junior), or even when Kareena Kapoor marries Saif Ali Khan, a divorcee with two grown up children and a decade her senior.

Anyway, we digress. In our poll conducted earlier this week, Jonas won a whopping 51% of the votes, because of the way in which he sportingly took part in each every Indian ritual during his engagement with Chopra, not because he had to, or not even for publicity (you can sense genuine feeling), but because she wanted it that way. How many men would go that distance? Not many I know, that's for sure! The dignity and respect with which both him and his parents conducted themselves during the ceremony, is something to be lauded, and for his classy and poised manner during the ceremony alone, he’s OUR worthy winner this week!

Will it last? Who knows? Is anything permanent? Questionable. But for now, at least, lets cut the couple some slack, cut down on the memes and social media slamming and let them live. They’re both consenting adults and let’s be honest, the world has far more pressing problems then their age gap. They don’t have an issue with it, so why should YOU?

FACTS:

Age: 25
Net worth: $25 Million
Chart-topping singles: Chains, Jealous, Levels, Remember I Told You
Awards: Teen Choice and Young Hollywood Awards, Golden Globe Nominee