People visiting the Taj Mahal must wonder about the woman who inspired this magnificent monument. This reconstruction of the life of Arjumand Banu (later Mumtaz Mahal) through the purported memoirs of her principal lady-in-waiting, Sati Nisa, is the stuff of legends, from the fairy tale meeting of Arjumand Banu and Shah Jahan, to their marriage and eventful life together. Arjumand died during childbirth, and was immortalised through the splendid tomb built by her grieving husband in her memory.