21 questions. (Really. I counted.)

Somewhere between Agra and Jaipur rests Fatehpur Sikri, a town mostly known for its towering Jama Masjid and a fortress from the sixteenth century. Constructed under the reign of Emperor Akbar, not only does it house his own palace, but the treasury, an astronomer’s kiosk, a square where transgressors were trampled to death by elephants (no, really), and – what I found most intriguing – palaces for each of his three favorite wives. Hats off to Mother Nature’s design skills, too, because you’d think that an entire town built of red sandstone would be somewhat monotonous, but as the sun set, the walls burst into glorious flames. That solitary substance was transformed into infinite hues of the same color palette. Sherwin Williams: get ye to Fatehpur Sikri.

It’s been two days since I strolled in and out of the three wives’ palaces and I cannot stop thinking about them. While multiple wives was and continues to be nothing new, Akbar was unique in his religious tolerance: one wife was Muslim, one Hindu, and one Christian. Can you imagine the conversations that took place based solely on religion? Did the Muslim wife don a burka? The Hindu wife a sari? What about the Christian wife? Which was the holy day? The entire weekend? What about dietary restrictions? Did they each follow their own religion’s culinary doctrines or did they band together in solidarity?

Seriously - the questions just keep coming. Especially when I let my mind wander beyond religion and into how evenings were spent…

What was the stroll like from the wives’ palaces to that of the emperor? Was it a solitary affair, quietly slipping through the night sky? Was it marked with processional pomp? Was it a casual stroll, perhaps with the aid of a servant or two? Did she take an overnight bag? Did they get together and gossip over tea? Discuss the current state of the land? The weather? Sex? If they discussed the latter, was it a blushing discussion full of double entendres or was it a bawdy girls’ night?

I can’t stop. For whatever reason, I’m completely obsessed with thinking about the particulars of their marriage. Further fueling my internal inquisitions is the fact that each of the three wives’ palaces was a different size and incorporated varying architectural details. The Muslim wife got the grandest of the three, while the structure belonging to the Hindu wife was the smallest. One could argue, though, that hers had the greatest carvings and the best views of the compound’s courtyard. A sucker for a great vista, I’d say that the Christian wife got the best real estate with windows that looked out over the plains.

Wondering if they had these same thoughts, I began to wonder if jealousy is a natural human trait or some cultural construction. Are we prewired to want what someone else has? All major religions – to the best of my knowledge – have their ascribed moral compasses and each talk about the need to avoid envy, whether it is in regards to your neighbor’s wife, livestock, or iPad. If we are prone to such covetous behavior, then, is it possible that these three women were friends?

Maybe the reason I’ve spent so much time thinking about these undoubtedly fascinating women is because I’ll never know the answer to any of my inquiries. I can believe what I want to believe. They are – and will continue to be – characters of my own creation. Now that you, too, know the story of Akbar maybe the question to end all questions is this: How do your three wives vary from my three wives?