Using qualitative data, this article unleashes the narratives of teachers (n = 20), engaged in the universities and colleges of Kashmir, about synchronous online teaching. Their narratives were replete with a range of negative emotions regarding the pedagogical, political and personal domains of online teaching. These negative emotions have been broadly framed within the notion of teacher alienation. Four predominant themes: "am I audible?"; "Lack of proximity"; "Talking with the walls"; and "it is just a formality" emerged from the data. Conversely, they highlight the constitutive features of real classrooms lacking in online teaching, such as "control," "proximity," "attention," and "authenticity." The article treats these feelings as significant to teacher alienation in online teaching. These themes reflect lived dimensions of online teaching confronted during the top-down implementation of online classes during the recent crises situation. This adds to the theory of teacher alienation and identifies the pedagogical bottlenecks in online teaching.