The clock had just touched 11 on a weekday morning when I called Dipalee Nitin Rahangdale. On the other side of the phone came the soft sound of water splashing against terracotta pots, followed by a warm voice asking me to wait for a moment.

“I am just watering my plants. Can you give me a minute?” she asks gently.

A few moments later, the rustling leaves settled into the background as she returned to the call from the balcony of her rented apartment in Delhi. At 32, she speaks with a calmness that comes from finding inner peace after emotionally exhausting years, and from learning to rebuild life slowly through nature and creative expression. Her balcony is not grand by any means. Measuring just 14 by 7 feet, it is small, compact, and tucked into a city apartment. Within this limited space, she has created something astonishing.

Hanging vines spill gracefully from railings, philodendrons curl around shelves, money plants trail across corners, and nearly 50 plants stand healthy under her care. Every inch of the balcony carries intention, patience, and healing, making it feel alive beyond its greenery alone.

"Gardening became therapy for me," she says softly. "People think peace comes from money, success, or other people. But emotionally, everyone needs something that belongs only to them. You need a hobby that heals you from within. For me, that became gardening."

Today, thousands of people know her through her Instagram page, @WabiSabiWithDipalee, where she shares glimpses of slow living, indoor gardening, and mindful spaces. Her videos are comforting and easy to follow. There are no extravagant makeovers or luxury aesthetics designed purely for social media validation. Instead, her content reflects ordinary life in a simple, beautiful way. A woman watering plants in the morning sunlight. A mother preparing potting mix with her child. Peaceful reflections about mental health, patience, and finding beauty in imperfection.

It is this honesty that has helped her build a loyal online community of over 4,069 followers who connect with the peaceful world she has created.

Her journey feels even more touching because this little balcony garden has become a shared space between her and her six-year-old son, Kavish. While many parents struggle to pull children away from screens, he spends his afternoons helping his mother water plants, plant seeds, and rearrange pots. Sometimes, he leaves cartoons midway to sit beside her while she works with soil and leaves.

Together, mother and son are growing something bigger than a garden.

The corporate life that slowly drained her

Before becoming a gardening content creator, Dipalee spent years working in the corporate sector while trying to balance marriage, motherhood, and constant work schedules. Like many women, she strongly valued financial independence and wanted to build her own identity through work.

"I always wanted my own identity and the ability to stand on my own feet, so being financially independent and earning for myself was always something that mattered to me," she says in a conversation with The Better India.

But slowly, the pressure of corporate life began draining her emotionally. Her office hours officially stretched from 9.30 in the morning to 7 in the evening, but reality was far harsher. Meetings continued late into the night because senior management arrived towards the end of the day. 

By the time she returned home, it was nearly 9 pm, and whatever energy remained had already been consumed by exhaustion.

"I could not spend time with my son," she recalls. "The whole day would disappear in work, and I used to come home feeling........

© The Better India