Here's why:

* Oxygen has two lone pairs: The oxygen atom in water has two lone pairs of electrons, which repel the bonding pairs of electrons from the hydrogen atoms.

* Repulsion: The lone pairs exert a stronger repulsion than the bonding pairs, pushing the hydrogen atoms closer together.

* Bond Angle: This results in a bond angle of approximately 104.5 degrees between the two hydrogen atoms, creating a bent or V-shaped geometry.

Think of it like a boomerang! The two arms of the boomerang represent the hydrogen atoms, and the curve represents the bent shape caused by the lone pairs on the oxygen atom.